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THE 



ART OF GRAINING 



A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON 



GRAINING AND MODERN DECORATIVE 
IMITATIONS 



OF 

WOODS, LEATHERS, METALS, a{AJOLICA, ETC., ETC. 

BY FREDERICK PARSONS. 



FULL INSTRUCTIONS AND MANY VALUABLE RECIPES, 
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED. 




1895 

PRESS OF THE WESTERN PAINTER 

CHICAGO. 




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X 



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COPYRIGHT 1895 
BY CHARLES H. WEBB. 



THE 
ART OF 

GRAINING. 



fv 



PREFACE. 



The "Art of Graining" was compiled in 1890 and then published 
in Messrs. Cassell & Co.'s English technical magazine, Work. The many- 
evidences of its usefulness to British apprentices and painters which the 
author received at that time prompted its revision and re-issue in T/ie 
JVesfern Painter and subsequently in the present cheap volume form. 

In the supplementary chapters various practical issues and processes are 
discussed, which have special bearing upon modern imitative work and 
decorative ideas. The illustrations, being limited to effects in black and 
white, were prepared for and are to be considered only as, aids to the 
descriptive matter. The supplement of actual painted grounds for graining 
may be taken as evidence of the useful character of the work and of the 
practical knowledge and experience of the compiler. 

The author's obligations are hereby expressed to Messrs. Cassell & Co. 

(lyimited), lyondon, for reserving to him the copyright in volume form, and 

also to Harrison Bros. & Co., of Philadelphia, for contributing the valuable 

painted supplement. 

FREDERICK PARSONS. 
Boston, Mass., Nov. 30, 1S95. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



A Dininff Room Corner Frontispiece 

List of Illustrations VII 

CHAPTER I. 

Introductory— Graining in the Past— Its Popularity and Decline— Mr. 
Ruskin's Crusade Against Painted Imitations— His Eminent Opponents 
and Upholders of Graining — A Common -Sense View— Some Notable 
London Imitations— The Nature and Quality of Good Graining Grounds 
— of Graining Color — Preparation of Painted Woodwork — The Value 
of Samples of Woods to the Student— Scope of this Work 1- 7 

CHAPTER II. 

Graining Quartered Oak in Oil Color — Grainers' Tools and Brushes (Illus- 
trated)— Mixing Graining Color — Megilphing Oil Graining Color 
— To Grain Light, or Wainscot, Oak — The Selection of Figure — How 
to Use the Combs — Wiping out the Lights or "Champs" (Illustrated) 
— Softening the Figure 8- 14 

CHAPTER III. 

Graining, Overgraining and Shading Oak Imitations — Patience and Practice 
— How to Grain a Four-Panel Door — "Rubbing In" — The Treatment 
of Panels, Stiles and Moldings — Varieties of Plain Combing — Sap or 
"Heart" of Oak, Its Use and Abuse— How to Wipe It (Illustrated) — 
Some Methods of Combing— The Purpose of Overgraining and Shading 
— The Tools Required — The Pigments— How to Overgrain in Water 
Color — Shading or Glazing Oak in Oil Color 15- 23 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Durability of External Grained Work — Varieties of Color in Oak — The 
Relation of Color to Pigment — Grainers' Pigments and their Re- 
spective Qualities — The "Siennas"— Chrome — The Ochres— Umber- 
Vandyke Brown— Blues and Blacks — To Bind Distemper Graining 
Color— Grounds for Varieties of Oak, Light, Medium, Dark and 
Antique Oak (see painted supplement) 24- 28 

CHAPTER V. 

The Drying of Graining Paints— Oak in Spirit Color— Its Advantages- 
Nature and Preparation— How to Use on a Door— The Veining Fitch 
—How Manipulated— Graining Oak in Distemper, or Water Color 29- 33 

CHAPTER VI. 

"Water Graining"— Its Qualities and Application— Pollard Oak— Meaning 
of the Term— Tools Required— The Ground Color— First and Second 
Styles of its Execution (Illustrated)— The Final Glazing— Another 
Method of Imitation— Graining Pollard Oak in Oil— Root of Oak- 
Knotted Oak— How Imitated and Used (Illustrated) 34-40 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Grained Furniture— Its Popularity for Cheap English Chamber Suites— The 
Preparation and Graining — Imitations Suitable for Furniture — Cheap 
Preparatory Methods — Finishing Furniture 41- 45 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Varieties of Maple — Bird's-Eye Maple— Tools for its Imitation— Clean 
Working— Ground and Graining Colors— Using the Mottler and 
Badger— Making the "Eyes" and Overgrain— Graining Maple in Oil- 
Graining Pitch Pine in Distemper (Illustrated) — Pine Grained in Oil.. 46- 52 

CHAPTER IX. 

Mahogany— Grounds for its Varieties— Baywood, or Inferior Mahogany- 
How Imitated in Water— Feathered, or Spanish Mahogany — Mottling 
and Cutting the "Feather" in Water Color— Overgraining and Over- 
glazing — Satinwood — How Imitated 53- 57 

CHAPTER X. 

Italian Walnut Wood — Its Original Source — Special Characteristics and 
Markings — Ground Colors— Graining Walnut in Water, or Distemper 
— The Graining Color — First and Second Stages of the Work (Illus- 
trated) — How to Ti-eat a Walnut-Grained Door 58- 63 

CHAPTER XI. 

Imitations by Plain Staining — Preparing the Wood — Mixing Oil Stains — To 
Make Oil Stains for Light, Medium, Dark and Antique Oak— Walnut 
Stain — Red Pine — Mahogany — Cheap Water Stains — Graining on 
Unpainted Woods — Wax Varnishing — Dull Polishing 64- 68 

CHAPTER XII. 

Black, or Amer-ican, Walnut — Grained in Water— The Technical Value of 
the Badger— Rosewood — The Ground and Graining Colors — How 
Imitated in Water — Teak — Its Nature and Appearance — How Grained 
— Birch — Grained in Distemper — Silver Wood Imitation— Tulip Wood 
Amboyna, New Zealand Oak, or Yew — Purple Wood — Ebony Effects. . 69- 74 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Inlaid Imitations — Their Origin — Suitable Designs for Inlaying (Illustrated) 
— Good Ornament and Color Contrast — Grounds for Inlays — Inlaid 
Floor Margins — Inlays for Dado Panels — For Door Panels — Executing 
Grained Inlays 75- 80 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Marquetry Imitations — The "Stopping Out" Process — "Stopping" Varnishes 
— Color Harmonies of Woods — Complementary Colors Applied to 
Woods — Dye Inlays — How Manipulated — Imitating Ivory Inlays 81- 86 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Graining Applied to Modern Decoration— "Lincrusta, " its Nature and Origin 
— "Anaglypta," its Special Features and Value— "Cordelova"—"Lig- 
nomur"— Woody Effects in Lincrusta— What "not to do"— How to 
Decorate Anaglypta in Wood, Metal and Leather Effects (with many 
Illustrations) — Tile and Majolica Finish to Lignomur and Cordelova— 
How to Use Metal and Bronzes 87-102 



CHAPTER XV [. 

Polishing and Varnishing Imitations of Woods— Varnishes — Expressed Oil 
Varnishes— Volatile Oil Varnishes— Spirit Varnishes— Their Various 
Practical Qualities and Commercial Values — Hardwood Finish — 
Fillers and "Hard Oil" Finish— Oil Polishing— Wax Polishing for 
Floors and Furniture— Shellac Varnishing — Varnish for Exterior and 
Exposed Work— Grained Work Should Be Varnished— Patent Fillers 103-109 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Patent and Mechanical Aids and Tools for Imitating Woods — The Scope for 
Inventive Faculty — The Natural Imitator — Expert and "Commei'cial" 
Grainers — A Noted English Novelist on Graining — Graine)'s' Appren- 
tices — Patent Rollers — Patent Graining Papers — Graining with Stencil 
Plates — Oak Overgraining Rollers — How Manipulated — Graining 
Crayons — Handicraft Appliances 110-117 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Art and Handicraft — Graining in the Light of Modern Progress — John 
Ruskin and his House-Painter Critics — John Ruskin's Influence on 
Graining and Decorative Art— The Recent Abuse by Biased Grainers 
and House Painters — A Definite Conception of True Art — Not Mere 
Handicraft — Imitation not Art — A Power of Poetic and Intellectual 
Expression — Ruskin a Great Art Prophet — Individuality or Style in 
Graining— Graining Justified by Utility— Some Flagrant Misapplica- 
tions — Graining the Most Perfect Kind of Imitative Painting — 
Greater Modern Structural Shams— The Want of the Times in Art— 118-123 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Artistic Coloring— Its Value in Graining— The Modern Grainer's Difficulties 
—Hard Woods and Harmonious Color Combinations for Light, Medium 
and Antique Oak— Maple and Satinwood— Black Walnut— Cherry- 
Mahogany— Whitewood— Ebony and Rosewood— Principles Worth 
Remembering— Modern Dining-Room Corner (see frontispiece)— A 
Practical Example of the Foregoing— Concise Notes and Recipes 124-129 



THE ART OF GRAINING. vii 
CHAPTER XX. 

PRACTICAL RECIPES FOR THE WORKMAN. 

Interior Oil Gilding Size for Yellow Metals 127 

To Gild Larg-e Surfaces in White Metals 127 

Spirit Lacquers for Gold Colors 127 

Painters' Lacquers and Glazes for Metals 128 

Painted Majolica Imitations for Tiling- 128 

Imitations of Old European Leathers 128 

Effects in Imitation of Carved Wood 128 

A Reliable Crystal Varnish for Metal 129 

An Enamel Oil for Mixing with Varnish 129 

A Reliable and Cheap "Japan" for Grainers 129 

Bronzing Interior Metal Work 129 

"Dead," or "Art," Black for Wrought Iron 129 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. 



A Modern Application of Decorative Wood Imitations Frontispiece 

Tools Used in Graining 2 

Wiping Out the Figure in Quartered Oak 16 

Figure in Quartered Oak when Overgrained 16 

Wiping Out and Overgraining Sap 18 

Pollard Oak, First Stage 35 

Pollard Oak, Second Stage 35 

Pollard Oak, Final Stage 37 

Knotted Oak in Oil 37 

Bird's- Eye Maple, First Stage .' 47 

Bird's-Eye Maple After Overgraining 47 

Pitch Pine, First Stage 49 

Pitch Pine After Overgraining 49 

Italian Walnut, First Stage 59 

Italian Walnut, Mottle and Uudergraiu 59 

Italian Walnut, Final Stage 61 

Italian Walnut, with Top Grain, Unglazed 61 

Imitations of Inlaid Woods 76 

Painted Imitations of Marquetry 83 

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Dadoes 88 

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Dadoes 89 

Lignomur Decorations 91 

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 92 

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 93 

Anaglypta Decorations, Two Ceilings 95 

Lincrusta Imitations of Graining Effects 96 

Lincrusta Imitations of Metal Effects 98 

Lincrusta Wall Paneling for Oak Effects 99 

Lincrusta Dado for Oak Effects 101 

Mechanical Aids to Graining 112 

Callow's Patent Graining Plates in Use 114 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS. 



Wadsworth-Howland Co IX 

Harrison Bros. & Co X 

John L. Whiting- & Son Co XI 

Felton, Sibley & Co XII 

American Decorative Co XII 

The S. P. Wetherill Co XIII 

Enterprise Paint Mfg. Co XIV 

Atlantic Drier Co XV 

John W. Masury & Son XVI 

Pratt & Lambert XVII 

Pomeroy «& Fischer XVIII 

The Western Painter XVJII 

Stencil Treasury XIX 

Geo. E. Watson Co XX 




A MODERN APPLICATION OF DECORATIVE WOOD IMITATIONS. 



; CHAPTER OF "ThE ART OF GRAINING.' 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 




INTRODUCTORY AND II,I.USTRATIVE — PREPARING WORK — GROUNDS AND 

GRAINING COLORS. 

HK utility and art morality of painted imitations, although 
not a subject of the first importance to the student of 
graining and marbling, is, nevertheless, sufiiciently a 
question of practical interest to the community at large to 
warrant its introduction in these pages. Notwithstanding 
this distinctive branch of house embellishment has been 
successfull}^ practiced and honored, to the direct knowledge of the trade, for 
fully one hundred years past in our own country, no subject of a like nature 
has caused such disputation and outspoken criticism amongst eminent deco- 
rative authorities of recent years as the practice and study of such 
imitations. 

Half a century ago, and even still later, the art of graining was in the 
zenith of its popularity. The successful imitator was looked up to by the 
operative house painter, and, in fact, by the patrons of his craft as an art- 
worker — of the lesser order, maybe — but of a branch of decorative painting 
of a very remunerative nature, and such as even Royalty was pleased to 
patronize. As evidence of this, there is the still existing marbled imitations 
which, under the personal direction of the late Prince Consort, were exe- 
cuted Upon the walls of the Grand Entrance, or "Marble Hall," the 
" Grand Staircase, " leading from thence to the Throne Room, the State 
Ball Room, and other minor positions at Buckingham Palace, about forty 
years ago, and at which period the present front of the palace was built. 
Another notable example of painted imitations comes to mind — the grand 
staircase of the aristocratic Carlton Club, Pall Mall — a splendid example of 
painted marbling, which Messrs. Gillow blotted out with " ivory white " 
paint and Dutch-metal gilding only some six years ago. What a radical 
change has transpired between then and now ! To-day we have The 
Western Painter offering to the would-be grainer for a few cents the 
foundation of that craft which a generation ago could only be obtained by 
heavy premiums of apprenticeship, and the execution of which was jealously 
guarded from the inquisitive gaze. 

John Ruskin's much-quoted dictum, that "there is no meaner occupa- 
tion for the human mind than the imitation of the stains and striae of wood 
and marble " has, unfortunately, been a potent force in lowering graining 
and marbling from the exalted position it had obtained at the period men- 
tioned. Until these uncompromising words went forth to the " community 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



of refinement and art-culture ' ' who hold him as the exponent and high 
priest of all that is true and beautiful in art, no very weighty opinion de- 
nouncing such imitations is recorded. From the earliest known times of its 
introduction and use, the value of this branch of house painting, which can 




TOOLS USED IN GRAINING. 

Fig. 1.— Steel Comb. Fi<?. 2.— Leather Comb. Fig-. 3.— Comb for Overgrainer. Figr. 4.— Mottler. 
Fig. 5.— Side View of Tliick Mottler. Fig. 6. Medium Mottler. Fig. 7.— Thumb-Piece. Fig. 8.— 
Sable Overgrainer in Tubes. Fig. 9. — Hog Hair Overgrainer in Tubes. Fig. 10. — Maple-Eye 
Shader. Fig. 11.— Dotter. Fig. 12.— Veining Fitch. Fig. 13.— Thin Oak Overgrainer. Fig. 14.— 
Thin Oak Overgrainer, side view. Fig. 15. — Me<liuni Overgrainer, side view. Fig. 16. — Badger 
Softener. Fig. 17.— Hog Hair Mottler. Fig. 18.— Hog Hair Mottler, side view. Fig. 19.— C^amel 
Hair Mottler. Fig. 30.— Side View Burnt Edge Camel Hair Mottler. Fig. 31.— Goose Sable Pencil. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



combine so admirably utility with embellishment, had, indeed, been fully 
acknowledged and established ; and had this sweeping condemnation been 
penned by a writer of less eminent ability and fearless individuality as an 
art critic than Mr. Ruskin, there is little doubt but that its proper sphere of 
decorative popularity would not have been in the least affected thereby. 
Coming as it did, however, from one whose judgment on most art matters 
is one to "conjure" with, the results were soon made evident, inasmuch 
that it soon became fashionable to decry that which was previously ap- 
plauded, and the skilled and clever imitators of the metropolis especially 
found their occupation almost gone, " Old things have passed away !" be- 
came the cry of the unthinking following of this master mind. Even, as in 
some instances, where the architect or decorator was not averse to its intro- 
duction in a building, it rarely happened that the client — if a person of ad- 
vanced knowledge and "art-culture" — would, himself, countenance so fla- 
grant an exhibition of "artistic ignorance." Herefrom, then, to a great 
extent arose the disfavor accorded this imitative art, and which has con- 
tinued, although to a less extent, down to the present day. 

The authoritative decorators who uphold graining and marbling num- 
ber amongst themselves, however, men of eminence, not only as writers 
upon art, but far more so as practical workers, than even Mr. Rnskin. For 
instance, we have the valuable opinions of both the late Sir Digby Wyatt 
and Owen Jones — of " Grammar of Ornament " fame — that such imitations 
are permissible and commendable, provided they are introduced in situations 
consistent with utility and common sense ; that is to say, where the genuine 
article could properly be used. That this is but a rational view of the 
matter no unbiased person of intelligence will den^^, since, if the use of 
graining and marbling be objected to — notwithstanding fitness or merit of 
execution — solely upon the principles of being imitations or "shams," the 
argument will carry one into most absurd extremes, ' No staining of simple 
deal or pine to imitate a more costly or pleasing wood ! No cast plaster im- 
itations of carved stone-work ! No putty composition or papier-mache en- 
richments to the surface of apartment or furniture ; not even to embellish a 
mirror frame — lest soom poor creature may be deceived into thinking it is 
genuine car\'ed work ! The amount of pleasure that may be derived from 
the beauty of the ornament is not worthy of consideration in such work : 
so, at least, appears to be the creed of the "anti-sham" party. Gilding a 
picture frame or similar ornament must also come under condemnation, since 
where lies the difference between so imitating a carv^ed surface of metal and 
covering a wall with an imitation veneer of marble ? 

An extract from the Architect, published some years back during one of 
those periodical occasions at which this question comes to the front, offers so 
suitable a closing judgment upon the controversy herein considered, that I 
am tempted to quote it — with the promise, however, that quotations shall 
not hereafter be substituted for that personal knowledge and experience of 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



my theme which, I am aware, readers of The Western Painter expect 
and look for. " Graining and marbling, of course, are quite an inferior art 
to veneering, and, to speak plainly, are more directly a make-believe. A 
slab- slate table, for instance, enameled to imitate Aberdeen granite, has 
been known to deceive for more than a moment the expert eye of the Aber- 
deen stone polisher ; and it is quite a common thing for a sufficiently sub- 
dued imitation of satinwood or mahogany to be mistaken for veneer, or an 
unpretentious panel of griotte or malachite for the real marble. So cleverly, 
indeed, do grainers accomplish their work — when they permit themselves 
to operate with due reserve — that vast surfaces of wall, as in Buckingham 
Palace and Stafford House, are found paneled out in the likeness of costly 
materials with such excessive liberality and faithful resemblance as to create 
in the mind of a modest stranger the feeling that he is being made a fool of. 
Nevertheless, for common woodwork in a common house — setting aside for 
the moment the fashion of green paint and other sad colors which happen 
to be in vogue — what can be more satisfactory than well and discreetly exe- 
cuted wainscot ? L,et us bear in mind one thing that seems to be quite over- 
looked at present. Why is a woman's cotton dress printed with a pattern ? 
Not for the sake of the decoration — a plain color would often be prefer- 
able — but for the simple purpose that it shall not 'show the dirt.' The 
object of graining a door is, in like manner, that it shall not be too readily 
soiled and stained. Our popular color decorators know only too well how 
far this vulgar consideration applies to the melanchol}^ tints of painted wood- 
work which it is their function just now to make supreme. Perhaps we may 
put the case of graining and marbling thus : When the imitation is too 
pretentious for possibility, it is no better than the too majestic mimicry of 
the stage, where the jewels are glass and the gold tinsel ; but so long as it 
kept within the limits of common sense, for the mere purpose of producing 
a decorative finish by confessed imitation, the better that imitation is the 
more graceful is the effort of workmanship, and the more to be encouraged 
as a thing that ought not to become a lost or even degraded art. As for 
the varnished deal- work now so common (in every sense), although it would 
be quite an error to disparage it in principle, one may safely ask whether, 
in order to make it really presentable to a fastidious age, it does not require 
much better workmanship than is customary, and better material than it 
would pay to use.''' 

The Stafford House imitations of marble, I may here mention, are not 
of the ordinary painted nature, as the above able writer appears to class 
them, but consist of a kind of imitation veneer, known as scagUola process. 
This noble building, the town residence of the Duke of Sutherland, is noted 
for posessing a grand hall and suite of State apartments which compare 
favorably with any building in London, those of Buckingham Palace in 
some respects not excepted. The hall and staircase to which the writer 
evidently refers is a magnificent piece of work. Some idea of its imposing 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 5 

aspect may be gathered from the fact that it occupies, on a rectangular base, 
the whole of the center of this mansion. Its height from floor to roof is 
about seventy feet, and it is computed that a thousand foot soldiers can be 
placed upon the ground floor. Its connection with my paper will be fully 
justified when I explain that the greater portion of the wall surfaces and the 
massive Corinthian columns of this staircase are all decorated with the 
"scag," marble imitation. Thousands of square yards there must be, and 
a grand effect it gives, being moulded and paneled out, and with immense 
oil paintings in the center of the wall flanks. I believe it is without a 
rival of its kind in the kingdom, and as a noble example of imitative work 
its existence is one of the best answers to John Ruskin's tirade that the 
student of such work can find comfort and encouragement in. 

Grounds for Graining and Graining Color are terms denoting two very 
important factors in connection with the imitation of woods, the meaning 
and practical working of which the student must thoroughly master before 
he endeavors to produce the features and markings characteristic of any 
specie of wood. The " ground " is a technical term involving two distinct 
ideas — namely, surface and color. A properlj^ prepared and painted surface 
should be free from grittiness, coarse brush-markings, dents or excrescences, 
and should present a smooth and hard appearance. The amount of gloss — 
dependent upon the proportions of linseed oil and turpentine used in mixing 
the grounding paint — is scarcely a matter of strict rule, but rather a con- 
aideration of circumstance and the personal preferment of the grainer. 
Some skilled workers advocate about three parts of linseed oil to one of 
turpentine, whilst others fully practiced in the work use equal proportions, 
or even the reverse of those first mentioned. The student may with advant- 
age bear these points in mind: Where oil-graining with steel combs is used, 
the first named, "hard-gloss," is the best. A dull gloss is more pleasant 
to work upon in graining by water or distemper process ; the water color 
has more affinity thereto and does not " cess " or run off. For the best class 
of this distemper graining I, personally, prefer a dull gloss, in which imita- 
tions, however, two coats of varnish are necessary for a good finish. On 
the other hand, there is a distinct advantage in using a hard oily ground for 
water graining, since the oil has a considerable binding nature upon the 
pigment (when the water has evaporated from the work), and, consequently, 
one coat of varnish will " bear out " much better upon this latter than upon 
work executed upon a dull paint. In no case can a good "ground" be 
obtained with dead or " flatting " paint, for there must always be sufficient 
oil in the color to allow the paint to be thoroughly spread and lightly " laid 
off, ' ' and hence ensure the above quality of freedom from coarse brush-mark- 
ings. As to the color oiWxQ^ ground employed, this, of course, is principally 
defined by the wood we are about to imitate, whether oak, mahogany or 
maple, and so forth. Beyond this leading fact, however, there is a wide 
range of knowledge to be acquired, by careful observation and experience, 
ere the student can correctly judge the combined effect of the two distinct 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



factors, grotmd color and graining color, when manipulated together in the 
Hkeness of a wood. 

Properly Prepared Graining Color should be characterized by two dis- 
tinct qualities. Firstly, that of ivorking freely and cleanly, not only from 
the brush whilst being spread, but during the subsequent manipulation. 
Secondly, that correct and particular color combined with the transparency 
of the pigment, which, when superimposed upon the "ground," shall imi- 
tate the color of the genuine polished article. This matter of combined 
color effect must be thoroughly grasped by the mind of the would-be grainer, 
since it is the chief working principle upon which the imitation of the wood 
is based. It is no uncommon occurrence for a writer upon such kindred 
subjects as painting and graining to be asked for directions to make " grain- 
ing paint " — that is to say, an opaque "body" mixture, which shall give 
the appearance, without the two distinct "grounding" and "graining" 
processes, of oak wood. A little study of the above will show that this is 
impossible. So soon as zvhite lead is mixed with the pigments from which 
the graining color is made the transparency and richness of the latter are 
practically nullified, whilst the graining color alone, being only of the 
nature of a stain, lacks the preservative and protective qualities of a white 
lead or other " body " preparation. 

The Preparation of Woodivork for Graining is a matter here calling for 
our attention. Although the imitation of oak is very often adopted for 
woodwork that is very rough and imperfectly " gotten up " by the joiner — as 
much on account of the figure "taking the eye off" this defect as for the 
serviceability of the graining — a smooth surface and ground are a desidera- 
tum. The "filling up" — that is, making level, of such poor woodwork is 
a matter that must be relegated to a future series of papers ; but, given a 
fairly good door, the following processes will ensure for us a satisfactory 
ground for working upon. The door should first be lightly papered, unless 
the joiner has done it for us, with No. i^^ sand-paper, and then thoroughly 
brushed down with the dusting brush. The knots in the wood are then 
coated thinly once or twice, according to the nature of the knot, with 
" shellac knotting" composition, the most transparent of which is the best. 
This dries in a few minutes, when the work is coated with priming made 
from three parts white to one part red lead, one-tenth in weight or bulk of 
paste or liquid driers added, and the whole diluted to a thin paint with 
three parts linseed oil to one part, or less, of turpentine. When dry and 
hard, the second coat is made of an oily nature also — say one-third of tur- 
pentine to two of oil. This should be used "rounder," or thicker, and be 
made from white lead and driers, but stained a few shades darker than the 
desired ground, and which latter we obtain by the third coat. It should 
always be borne in mind that any colored paint will cover far better upon a 
previous coat a fciu shades darker than if the reverse is tried. Suppose 
we are desirous to imitate light oak— that is, new oak, without any arti- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



ficial darkening — our second coating may advantageously be used of the 
depth of color given by the real oak vrood. The ground color, in this case 
the third coat, and which is the least number we can prepare new work 
with, will then be decidedly lighter than the second coat, and will cover 
much better than upon white paint. It may be advisable to mention that 
any nail holes should be "puttied up " after the priming, when it is advis- 
able to let the work stand a day before painting again. Paint should 
alwaj's be strained before itsing, and the work lightly papered down and 
dusted previous to each coating. The pigments required for staining the 
white lead paint to the required ground color is a matter governed by the 
color of the wood we are imitating. 

Samples of the Genuine Woods are equally as necessary to the study 
and practical proficiency in the imitative arts for copying from as are alpha- 
bets for the practice of sign writing. The graining of figured oak is very 
analogous to hand writing, so much so, indeed, that if an employer has 
several good grainers working for him he is easily able, if himself a practi- 
cal man, to say which of them has executed a piece of work, just as an 
accountant can distinguish between the handwriting of his half dozen clerks, 
all writing a good hand. For the correct reproduction of oak figure espec- 
ially, the necessity is a very imperative one. The student of graining can 
not do better than invest in a picked sample of panels of such woods as 
mahogany, satin-wood, maple and walnut. As they will be of life-long 
value, have them cleaned up by an expert hand — although there is no 
reason why the student should not polish his panels, and at the same time 
well study the characteristics of each zvood. Respecting the oak pattern, it 
is the better plan to purchase an extra solid piece of good figured oak — 
for this reason, that after mastering the growth and nature of the " lights " 
or cross-markings of one sample, we can get a friend to take a thin shav- 
ing off the surface, and thereby obtain for us another aspect of the natural 
growth to imitate. It is one of the peculiar charms of figured oak that with 
every planing of a panel some variation in the figure is apparent, a fact 
which the student should take advantage of. 

The Accompanying Illustration of Grainers^ Tools represents a collection 
required for the ordinary imitative processes, to be hereinafter explained. 
Their cost and particular use will be briefly indicated in the next paper, and 
will be further fully considered as each tool is brought into its proper use. 
Other tools and devices will be illustrated and referred to in these pages. 
In my next article the graining of figured oak by the ordinary oil process 
will be described, and following this, all varieties of oak graining, walnut, 
mahogany, maple and other decorative woods, will be carefully and practi- 
cally treated. The " present day " and artistic value of graining will be 
duly considered, and useful papers, interspersed amongst the above, will be 
given on graining furniture, plain staining and varnishing, inlaying and 
decorating with woods generally. 




CHAPTER II. 

GRAINING QUARTERED OAK IN OIL COLOR. 



THE PRECEDING CHAPTER on this subject I 
considered the necessary quahties of both ' ' ground- 
ing paint " and "graining color," and also briefly- 
indicated the preparatory work required for new 
_ woodwork which is intended to be grained. The 

main working principle embodied in the art of graining — namely, the 
manipulation of a transparent graining color over an opaque and solid sur- 
face of paint, whereby two distinct processes are used to obtain one complete 
color effect — was also therein explained to the reader ; whilst the possession 
of good samples of the woods to be imitated was urged upon the student as a 
matter of primary importance. 

The tools required for graining oak in oil color were shown in the illus- 
tration accompanying the previous introductory paper. I do not purpose 
herein to occupy ourselves with the whole of the brushes represented in die 
above, lest the quantity and variety should confuse the learner, but prefer 
to make the student familiar with the tools as the occasion shall arise for 
their use. Assuming, therefore, that the practically inclined one has secured 
a good specimen of English oak, and also a suitable piece of painted deal or 
pine upon which to practice, we will turn back to the engraving of grainers' 
tools, and I will particularize those required for present needs, and further, 
briefly advise as to their size and cost. 

A variety of sfee/ combs is indispensable to graining oak, and these can 
be purchased either separately or in a set of different sizes and degrees of 
coarseness. They are sold singly, by the inch, in sizes from one to four 
inches in width, and are made with six, nine, twelve and fifteen teeth to the 
inch. The sets, as usually retailed, consist of three combs of one, two, 
three and four inches, and each size is made up by coarse, 7iiedium and fine 
combs. They are retailed in a shut-up tin case at $r.oo to $1.25, while 5 to 
6 cents per inch, in width, is charged for loose combs. As a good set of 
steel combs will last a lifetime, I advise the purchase of such in its entirety ; 
where, however, the cost stands in the way, let the learner invest in four- 
inch combs of three varieties and^ a couple of small sizes. The second des- 
cription of comb I have depicted is of leather ; these also can be obtained in 
varying sizes and degrees of coarseness. India rubber, gutta percha, and 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



even suitable pieces of cork, can be utilized for cutting graining combs ; but, 
although all of these materials have special characteristics which an experi- 
enced grainer can readily turn to practical account, the learner is advised to 
content himself with machine-made steel combs and two or three coarse 
leather ones. These latter can be purchased at any large dealer's, and the 
price, per inch, is about the same as for steel combs. Comb Fig. 3 takes a 
more familiar shape, and although not absolutely indispensable to graining 
oak, it is advisable to invest 10 or 15 cents in this article. They are pur- 
posely made for dividing the long hair of a thin overgrainer (Fig. 13), when 
charged with water color, into separate fine divisions. Turning to the 
brushes, one of the most expensive of the grainer' s tools, the badger hair 
softener — or "badger" it is usually termed — must be noticed. I,ike a good 
set of combs in the hands of a careful worker, this brush will also last, if not 
exactly one's lifetime, a great number of years. This is a serious item of 
expense, and one which cannot be substituted for a cheaper article. A 3^ 
or 4 inch badger of ^^ finest quality costs from $3.00 to $3.50, and the 
cheapest reliable quality of a good maker's badger is marked from $1.50 to 
$2.50. The latter sum should procure a sufficiently good article for his pur- 
pose if the learner is careful to purchase a tool bearing the name of a good 
maker, such as Gerts, lyumbard & Co.. John ly. Whiting & Son Co. or F. 
W. Devoe & C. T. Raynolds Co. One word of warning here : do not be 
tempted by a retailer of German rubbish into buying a so-called badger, the 
stocks of which are ebonized, and with a thin ornamental plate of white bone 
next the hair. These goods are sold at about half the price of a good badger 
brush. The hair in them, which is comparatively little, has scarcely any 
"spring," is of varying length, and they are practically useless for "soft- 
ening ' ' graining work. Whatever they are made for, there is one purpose 
they fulfill capitally — I personally recommend them to lady clients for dust- 
ing the bric-a-brac of their drawing-rooms. A couple of overgrainers of 
three or four inches in width, as shown in Figs. 13 and 15 in the illustration 
shown in my previous paper, will be a further very useful present invest- 
ment ; and a thin hog hair viottler (Vig. 17), about two inches wide will, 
complete the equipment of graining brushes proper. The careful cultivation 
of the thumb nail of the right hand has nowadays been substituted by a 
piece of thin bone of similar shape, termed a thumb-piece (Fig. 7). This, 
when covered by a piece of soft linen rag, is far more pleasant than one's 
nail to work with, and the " lights," as the cro.ss-markings of the oak figure 
are called, can be wiped out as naturally and cleanly with the thumb-piece 
as by the earlier and more primitive method. The cost of the overgrainers 
will be from 40 to 60 cents each, the thickest kind (Fig. 15) being the most 
useful for oak. Fig. 17, the thin, or chisel-edge viottler, which will be very 
useful later on for graining mahogany and satin wood, will make a call for 
another 25 cents, or thereabouts. The " thumb-pieces " are made in several 
sizes, costing but 5 or 10 cents each. Besides grainers' tools, the student 



lo 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



will require a brush to spread his oil graining color. A medium-sized sash 
tool will answer best for the practice-board ; but a nicely worn-in paint 
brush and tool are necessary when any quantity of work has to be covered. 

The mixing of '-graining color,'" and the nature and proportion of its 
constituent parts, will here require some consideration ; and as this portion 
of my paper will bear equally upon mixing all shades and colors of graining 
paint, it requires the learner's attention and study. The pigments, or ma- 
terial colors, used with fluids in compounding oil graining color are of a 
transparent or semi-transparent nature, the chief of which are known as 
Terra-di-Sien7ia, or Razu Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Raw and Burnt Tiirkey 
Umber, and Vandyke Brozvn. These colors are prepared, finely ground, 
in linseed oil, and can be purchased at any retail paint store. I,inseed oil 
and oil of turpentine are mixed with the pigments, and the addition of a 
drying agent— used in proportion to the natural drying qualities of the pig- 
ment and the circumstances of the work — completes the process. 

The mcgilphing of oil graining color is a matter here requiring some at- 
tention. Any person who knows the meaning of the word " graining " is 
also aware that the combs I have previously described are used for imitating 
the grain, or pores, of the wood. Now, to ensure that when the work is 
combed the effect thereby obtained shall be permanent, some means must be 
adopted to counteract the spreading nature of the linseed oil. Notwith- 
standing such a recommendation may be bad from a theoretical point of 
view, I may say that the action of a drying agent alone, used in excess of 
the amount required to dry the mixture, is sufficient for the purpose of 
megliphing graining color. This is the plan adopted with the bulk of all 
ordinary and cheap oak graining. Thirty years ago, when a journeyman 
painter's wage in Kngland was about $5 a week, a couple of hours spent in 
mixing a pot of graining color — preparing and dissolving beeswax, mixing 
lime water, soft soap, or such like articles — was not considered " unnecessa- 
rily long ;" but to-day the worker is expected to " knock it up " as quickly 
as a pot of white paint. Mr. Ruskin's tirade notwithstanding, there are 
still occasions when a thoroughly good and enduring piece of oak graining 
is demanded, such as may be required to stand for half a century, and in the 
execution of which neither pains, time, or material may be grudged. In 
such an instance the addition of a proper megilph is a decided advantage. 
No assistance would accrue to the student were I to detail herein the many 
different preparations which have been used for this purpose. That which 
is generally acknowledged to be most convenient and satisfactory is a prepa- 
ration of beeswax. A few ounces of genuine wax — not the paraffin-adul- 
terated article — should be scraped into shreds and thoroughly dissolved and 
mixed, by the application of heat, in linseed oil. This quantity will be suf- 
ficient for five or six pounds of graining color, or, as the mixture is more a 
fluid than of a solid nature, the subjoined proportions may be most conven- 
iently stated : — Add to the dissolved beeswax one pint of each linseed oil 



THE ART OF GRAINING. ir 

and oil of turpentine, about one gill of "terebine "—liquid dryer — and the 
pigments, ready-ground, in oil which are required to stain the mixture the 
desired color. When wax is used for this purpose, the worker must take 
every care to thoroughly mix it with the fluid, otherwise, excess of wax 
on any portions may prevent it properly drying. It should always be re- 
membered that the province of this substance is not to dry the mixture, but 
solely to make it more amenable to the dividing and wiping-out action of the 
combs. Patent, paste or liquid dryer must still be added for oxidizing the 
linseed oil, and where Vandyke brown is used a double proportion of dryer 
to that given above should be taken, since this pigment is a very slow — or, 
as it is termed, "bad" — dryer. The best umbers, on the other hand, are 
good drying pigments, and require less drying agenfs, whilst the siennas 
require the lull proportion I have given. 

draining color for ordinary piirposes'\s best made with about equal parts 
of oil and turps, one-eighth, of the whole bulk, of best dryers, and the addi- 
tion of pigments; burnt umber usuaUy sufiices to obtain the desired depth 
and tone of color. In a subsequent paper I hope to give instructions for 
mixing "grounds" and "graining paint" for every color and shade of oak. 
The above are considerations applying chiefly to the nature and mixing of 
all oil graining paint ; whilst, when describing the imitation of the many 
varieties of oak color now in use, it will be necessary to notice more fully 
the pigments previously enumerated. 

The reader being now, to an equal extent, familiar with the tools re- 
quired and the preparation of the ' ' ground ' ' and ' ' graining paints, ' ' we 
will turn our attention to a definite description of imitating the grain and 
figure. 

To Grain Light or Wainscot Oak — A specimen of which, it is presumed, 
the student, as well as the writer, has before him — we require a light buff 
or cream color grounding paint. The only pigment necessary for staining 
our white lead paint to the desired tint is yellow ochre, ground in oil, sufii- 
cient of which is added to make the paint a decided cream color. Some half 
a dozen distinct depths of light oak can be well imitated upon grounds made 
from white lead and yellow ochre alone ; but beyond a certain range of color 
the ochre gives somewhat raw and crude effects. The best pigment for 
staining the graining mixture we are going to use over our light oak is razv 
Turkey lunbcr. If the raw umber cannot conveniently be obtained, ordi- 
nary burnt irmber will do. The former gives results nearer in color to the 
new-looking oak, for which burnt umber is too " warm." Having prepared 
our color according to the previous directions, and using plenty of dryers 
therein instead of megilphing it, it is necessary now to well " work in " the 
paint tool we use for spreading — that is, by stirring and scraping across a 
knife, to get the color properly into the brush. As our graining color, if 
properly mixed, is scarcely thicker than a "wash," very little is necessary 
to cover the practice-board — which we will suppose is about 24x11 inches. 



12 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



The tool is therefore well scraped out, and then our panel is spread. Care 
should be taken to rub the color out comparatively bare, and the learner 
should rather try how little he can use of his color to "rub in " the board, 
as it is termed, Mx's.wvice versa. Graining color is always "laid off" the 
way of the grain, and it naturally follows that when a door is being covered 
the figure and grain should always be in keeping with the constructive di- 
visions, and therefore such as we should find in a good solid oak door. Al- 
though careful and even spreading and proper "laying off" with the paint 
brush is sufficient for all ordinary work, it is often advisable to get the color 
more perfectly distributed by finishing with the "stippling" process. As 
the student must aim at first-class work only, we will stipple the practice- 
board with the ' ' badger, ' ' and obtain a coating free from any brush marks. 
But here, a few words of theory. 

In all branches of imitative work, and notwithstanding /',f;/<?r/ imitation 
is thereby implied, a certain degree cf conventionalism is usually apparent 
even in the best examples. This is the case with graining, since a " master 
in the art" will often execute a grained door the figure and arrangement of 
which may exhibit more symmetry and balance in its entirety than many 
doors of the solid wood will show. There is no pretence of ' ' teaching Dame 
Nature her business " thereby, but simply this : The grainer produces an 
imitation of that which, as he has learned by studying and copying the nat- 
ural principles of the tree's growth, inayh& found in realit3^ The worker 
in wood, however, although he appreciates the beauty of its grain and fig- 
ure, cannot sacrifice every other consideration to that, and use only those 
portions of a tree which will make an ideal door — hence, although perfect in 
construction, it may be, as suggested, inferior in some respects to the imita- 
tion. My reason for this digression is to impress upon the student that a 
solid oak door is not ahvays the ideal to work up to, but that, whilst we are 
imitating, let such imitation contain as much beauty of growth and balance 
of parts as may be found in the best specimens. This will further explain 
matters should the learner fail to see the exact interpretation in his own 
specimen of my written instructions • the natural characteristics of both 
sources will, however, be identical. 

To return to the practice-board, and which we will treat as a door panel, 
now ready for "combing" and "figuring." A little study of the real 
wood will show that there are two features to be copied — the grain which 
runs lengthways and the figure, or " lights" of oak, as it is termed, w^hich 
crosses the former. A little more observation will teach us that the ' ' grain ' ' 
consists of an arrangement of dark pores of the wood, some finer and closer, 
and others long and coarse, and that where the figure is there are no dark 
pores, but a very fine grain, which seems to underlay the whole effect. A 
good panel of real oak will show according to its growth a coarse grain upon 
the one side, which graduates into a finer and then into the figured portion. 
To imitate this, we take a three-inch coarse comb, preferably leather, and 



THE ART OF GRAINING. n 

placing the edge against the left-hand side, draw it firmly once down the 
panel. A medium steel comb is then used next to that we have already- 
wiped out, and this is carried about half-way across the width. If carefully 
done, we have now a graduated series of regular lines from which the grain- 
ing color has been drawn off. But this is not much like the grain at pres- 
ent. We now take a fine or medium wide steel comb, and starting at the 
same edge, we cut the lines into "pores," as it were, by either of two 
methods — we may draw the comb at a slight angle regularly across the coarse 
combing, or we may, and very successfully with practice, make the comb 
execute a cross, "wavy" action, and obtain a similar effect. Having cut 
the first combing up into pores, or grain — hence " graining " — we carry the 
fine combing across the panel, but keep it, upon the right-hand portion, quite 
subdued in effect. Combing must always be cleanly and carefully done ; 
the work must start right at the top and be carried quite to the bottom — 
simple enough on the practice-board, but not so easy on a moulding-framed 
panel. Wipe the combs, as they are used, on a piece of old rag, free from 
" fluff," and practice to get a full and regular pressure over the wide comb, 
which will ensure clean combing. 

Now for the figure. We take a piece of old linen rag and double into 
several thicknesses ; our thumb-piece is now put within it and then under 
our right-hand thumb — projecting from it sufficiently to occupy the place of 
a long thumb-nail. With the left hand the ends of the rag are held away 
from the panel, and this also serves to steady and guide the right hand. 
Starting from the top, we wipe out the figure, putting in its coarsest mark- 
ings and broadest lights nearest the right-hand edge of the panel, as it 
would be in reality. From this side the figure is imitated in varying degrees 
of coarseness, until its markings, gradually getting smaller and closer, are 
intermingled with the strong combing of the left-hand side of the panel. No 
attempt is here made to describe the figure, but rather to accentuate its 
chief points. The real oak panel or a nicely grained specimen alone can 
teach the growth of the ' ' lights ' ' of oak. To wipe them out naturally and 
cleanly is, I believe, the most difficult process the learner of graining must 
master. In manipulating the thumb-piece and rag, the broad top of the 
former enables us to take out the thick and " set " lights, and with the thin 
edge to make the small ones ; whilst all the irregular veins of varying shape 
are made by a combined action of both. In a good panel of oak the strong- 
est figure is never crowded, but nicely balanced throughout. When the 
figure is completed to this extent, we have to put in ''half-tones " of color, 
found between the veins. To effect this, a clean piece of rag is made into a 
pad about two inches long, and graining color surrounding the figure is 
carefully, but not cleanly, wiped or softened out. This process must never 
be worked up close to the " lights." The desired effect is this : by wiping 
away a portion of the color to obtain a more transparent appearance, and 
whilst "softening" the figured part of the panel, we still further help the 



14. THE ART OF GRAINING. 

contrast of the clean-wiped lights by the shade portion surrounding it. It 
is only advisable to put " half-tones " between the most prominent " lights." 
Both in wiping out the lights and the half-tones, the surface of the rag is, 
of course, continually changed ; clean wiping is very dependent upon clean 
rag as well as the practice of the worker. We now, finally, take the thin 
hog-hair mottler^ and slightly soften off the veins with a downward touch ; 
this, if successfully done, will give a delicate "woody" appearance to the 
"lights," and assist them by strengthening the under shadow. The work 
is now allowed to dry ere it receives the subsequent " overgraining " pro- 
cess. In my next paper I hope to ' ' grain a door, ' ' and will endeavor to 
assist this subject by an illustration of working methods of graining oak 
in oil. 




CHAPTER III. 

GRAINING, OVERGRAINING AND SHADING OAK IMITATIONS. 

HE student of graining must be prepared to expend a con- 
siderable amount of his time and patience ere he acquires 
proficiency in wiping out the " hghts " or figure of oak — at 
which stage of the imitation the subject was left in the last 
chapter. Presuming, however, that each evening for a 
month at least has been perseveringly devoted to this end, 
and that the worker has so far availed himself of copy, graining panel, and 
my previous instructions as to be able to imitate the natural characteristics 
of the wood in some half a dozen different treatments, he may now with ad- 
vantage turn his progress to practical advantage by graining an ordinary 
four-panel door. The door, having been carefully prepared and ' ' grounded ' ' 
in accordance with my preceding papers, it is finally lightly sandpapered 
and well dusted down. 

In graining a door oak, it is advisable to use both a full-size paint 
brush and a sash tool for spreading the oil graining color. If both are 
nicely " worn in " to a level edge, and providing the graining color has 
been properly mixed according to my directions, no difficulty will be expe- 
rienced in spreading the same evenly but barely on the door. 

The ' ' rubbing in " of graining color is worked on similar lines as are 
followed in plain-painting a door. At the risk of repeating, it is, perhaps, 
advisable to briefly indicate the method. Suppose, my reader, you stand 
aside, figuratively, and watch an experienced hand for a few minutes. My 
first action is to get a small wooden wedge, and so fix the door that I can 
comfortably work on it. Now, the brushes being well worked into the 
color, and being previously cleaned and free from any white lead or colored 
paint, I place the pot conveniently to my right, and with the large brush in 
my left hand in reserve, I start with the tool. We all know that every door 
must have two edges as well as two sides ; one of these edges is always 
treated with the inside of the door. You see this door opens towards us, 
into the room, therefore the front edge belongs to the inside treatment. The 
edge is now first rubbed in, after which I coat the panel mouldings. It 
is apparent that a little graining color goes a long wa}^ as there is sufficient 
left in the tool, from "working it in" at the start, to cover all the mould- 



i6 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



ings. Besides the two brushes, you will notice that it is a further advantage 
to have a smaller one, called a fitch, for this enables me to go into the 
"quirk" of the moulding and to pick out any superfluous color at the 
mitres, without severely rubbing and forcing the hair of the tool into such 
recesses. Now I change hands with the brushes, and, using the large one, 
the four panels are coated from the top downwards. Although I find suf- 
ficient color in this brush for one large panelj I must take a "dip" to 
finish the door. Here, you see, there is a difference from plain-painting a 
door. When using a body color, we can take a good generous brushful, 
leaving the surperfluous portion against the side of the paint pot ; but with 



iwp— III 



»'« 



Is iJijV'i I MM/A' 








FIG, 22- 



-HOW THE FIGURE IS WIPED 
OUT. 




FIG. 



23 — GRAINING IN FIGURE 22, 
WHEN OVERGRAINED. 



graining color, such a quantity would be sufficient for two doors, and would 
make it impossible for me to give this one the bare but even coating that is 
desired. This is a more important matter than it may at first sight appear. 
The panels being covered and laid off the way of the wood, from top to 
bottom, I start with the stile between the top panels, next the top rail, 
bringing the outer stiles down some distance also. Here, again, I coat the 
stile between the lower panels, then the wide middle rail, or lock rail ; then 
the bottom rail of the door, and, finally, finish with the long outer stiles, 
which run the whole length of it. You have 'seen how, having first spread 
the color evenly on each portion so that it is all the same depth, I lay it off 
lengthways, or perpendicularly, just as the wood is used which forms each 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



n 



part of the door ; and now, having given the mouldings a final " la}^ off" 
with the tool, you can bring out your combs and graining tools and start 
with the four panels. 

The varieties of plain combing in oak gi'ainiiig X'S, a matter it will now 
profit the student to consider here. 

Assuming that the door panels have been creditablj^ combed and veined 
after the manner indicated in the preceding chapter, the learner will natu- 
rally inquire, " How should the remainder of the door be treated?" In 
offering some assistance upon this point — which is one that scarcely any 
two grainers are entirely agreed upon — I must mention that there appears 
to be two working principles which stand before any questions of individual 
choice or experience. The first of these — that the constructive lines and 
framing of the woodwork must be rigidly adhered to — is a matter I have 
explained in " rubbing in " and "laying off" the color. Second to this, 
we have to consider it the duty of the grainer to treat the door in such a 
manner that its <f^,f/^7z and proportions shall be clearly displayed and "set 
off" to the most advantage. 

That the recessed and moulding-framed panels are the most suitable 
portions for the best figured work displaj^ed upon a dcor no one will ques- 
tion. Such being the case, the woodwork surrounding them should cer- 
tainly not only frame, but act as a foil thereto. I therefore, personally, 
must recommend a good variety of cleanly-executed ' ' plain combing ' ' for 
the bulk of the remaining woodwork. The usual exceptions to this simple 
treatment are the middle rail, the bottom rail, and, occasionally, the narrow 
rail across the top. A large proportion of grainers invariably make a prac- 
tice of imitating a piece of ' ' heart of oak ' ' or sap portion of the wood, across 
the entire width of the lock rail. The success of this treatment will ver}' 
much depend upon the manner of its execution. Fully three-fourths of the 
"sap" (so-called) that is worked in this position consists of coarse ungrace- 
ful markings, very unnaturally wiped, and very crudely breaking into the 
coarse surrounding grain. When, however, a piece of " sap " is neatly and 
properly executed, I see no reason to condemn its introduction, although it 
should always be executed with subservient effect to the panels. The 
alternative treatment of the lock rail is to comb it into grain of a graduated 
nature, and then to work a little quiet figure thereon — this, of course, being 
put in across the grain, just as in graining the panels. The latter method 
is one often applied also to the bottom rail, and is equall)^ acceptable there ; 
whilst the very coarse grain and sap which is occasionally used on the top 
narrow rail is less sappy in effect than on the lock rail. 

The characteristic markings and growth of the sap, or heart, of oak will 
well repay the student's careful study, and also his practice in "wiping." 
I am well aware that many good grainers will never use it. Some will say 
that as the sap is the least acceptable portion of the tree, the carpenter 
would seldom t)ut it into a real oak door. This may be right in theory, but 



i8 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



I venture to think the coar.se-grained sap is to be seen in a real oak door 
more often than not. Observation on the student's part will well repay him 
in such matters. Again, there are some professional grainers, to one's per- 
.sonal knowledge, who, notwithstanding they are able to wipe the lights 
most nBturally, can only make " a poor fist " with the " heart ;" and there- 
fore, knowing this, they naturally decry its use. Other experienced workers 
also contend that only on the thickness, or "returns," of a piece of work 




FIG. 



25— APPEARANCE OF SAP WHEN SHADED OR OVERGRAINED. 



should sap be worked ; but this also may not be so acceptable in general 
practice as it appears on paper, for the grainer who sets himself the task of 
showing the growth of the wood upon face and thickness requires both ex- 
ceptional skill and knowledge. Independent of this, I do not think the 
mouldings of a panel are improved by coarse markings worked- across their 
bulk, which would neither assist the contours of the moulding nor give a 
better effect to the panels. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. tp 

With this brief consideration of what is most in vogue, and the reason 
and effect thereof upon the remaining portions of an ordinary door, we 
will now turn to the completion of our imaginary sample. The graining 
color I laid off carefully, as you must both remember and practice, cutting 
up each joint with the brush in a sharp line. Before using the combs, I 
here take a handy little straightedge, and laying the thin, beveled edge 
against the joints of horizontal rails with the perpendicular stile, I wipe off, 
with a clean rag, a little of the graining color from one side. This will 
further define the joints as they exist in the real wood. 

As one specimen of combing effects, I now take a coarse gutta percha 
comb and draw down the stile between the upper panels, giving it first a 
straight and then a slightly angular direction. I now go over this 
with a medium steel comb, and, using it a little out of the upright, ob- 
tain a fair effect of coarse combing. The stile between the bottom panels is 
now similarly worked, but hardly so coarse in grain. The top cross rail is 
next combed with a coarse steel comb, and then a fine one, which gives a 
somewhat light effect. Here you see my combs have gone over the limit 
and on to the outer stile. This must be put right, or, in combing the latter, 
we shall get a "muslin " marking instead of grain. To this end I place the 
straightedge up the joint, and with the sash tool, used comparatively dry, I 
remove the objectionable comb marks by carefully brushing them out. The 
lock rail next invites my attention. Using a coarse gutta percha comb, I 
commence on the upper half to wipe out the color, giving the comb a curv- 
ing movement, and thus varying the width of grain, and suggesting 
the formation -of the "sap," which is worked into it. I now, with 
rag and the thumb piece, wipe out the heart, working from one knot, 
or centre, into another centre, according to the growth in nature, which 
the learner must explore. To finish this, I take a fine comb, and diagonally 
cut up the coarse grain surrounding the sap, and also use it carefully 
upon the latter, taking care that there is no harshness of figure or 
of general effect, and graduating the coarse combing in a natural man- 
ner. The bottom rail I now comb in a plain and graduated effect, and 
content myself with putting in a few simple lights across the top portion. 
Making sure that my combs have not again intruded upon the outer stiles, 
I finish the latter by a level combing with the four- inch steel coarse comb 
and then draw the fine comb in a wavy motion down the entire length. The 
mouldings finally are combed with a little variety, care being taken, 5-ou 
see, that the mitres are cleanly treated. The door can now stand and dry, 
when it will be ready for overgraining or shading. 

Before leaving this practical stage of the work, I may with advantage 
indicate some other plain-combing arrangements. If, as is advisable with 
a learner, he does not try his hand at " heart " upon the lock rail, using in- 
stead the graduated combing and simple veining, the whole of the perpen- 
dicular stiles might with advantage be treated with the same plain clean 



20 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



combing with two steel combs. The rails should then be worked with a 
good variety of combing and veining, and the complete effect will be very 
much as would appear in real oak, the action of light upon the different 
ways of the "grain" giving the variety of depth at which we are aiming. 
In combing a light piece of grain, a "woody " effect can readily be obtained 
by placing over a coarse steel comb a piece of muslin cloth. A yard of this 
stuff is a good and useful help to a grainer, but it requires a thorough wash- 
ing to free it from ' ' fluff ' ' ere it can be used for the purpose mentioned. A 
piece of rag must always be at hand, and each comb should be wiped after 
every stroke. Plain combing in itself makes a pleasing and serviceable fin- 
ish to the woodwork of basements, etc., and can be recommended before 
much of the "rubbishy" figuring one sees repeatedly in small houses. 
Practice alone will make the student a good, clean, and quick worker with 
the combs, in which matter my written instructions cannot, I believe, 
further aid him. 

Overgrainiug and shading oak is the final process applied to all imita- 
tions of oak worth calling such, the object of which is to give more variety 
of natural depth to the work, and to enrich the whole effect. It is worth 
noting here that, beyond the ancient associations of the wood, and its 
beauty and serviceability, the oak has another prominent claim for obtain- 
ing the first place in any practical considerations of the imitative art, and 
this from the fact that the two processes of "oil" and ' ' distemper ' ' are 
both used in graining it. The preceding part of my paper has been occu- 
pied with the manipulation of oil color. In now following the overgrainiug 
process, the student, whilst completing his study of oak, will further acquire 
knowledge and facility of execution such as will materially aid him later on 
in graining other hard woods, which are usually worked in distemper, or 
water, pigments. 

"Overgrainiug," as practically interpreted by most grainers, means 
the application of ver}^ weak stains of a pigment, ground in water, upon cer- 
tain parts of the grain and veining, and in such a manner as the real effects 
aimed at are displayed in the natural wood. We have previously seen how 
the grain and figure are obtained by the use of one translucent oil color 
manipulated upon a solid, opaque ground. It is at once apparent therefrom 
that no variety of depth of color is possible with these two factors only, 
hence the "overgrainiug," or owex-shading, of portions of the oil graining. 
If we further examine the grain of the real wood, we are easily made aware 
of what our oil-grained combing now appears lacking in — a variation of 
shade and a "softening" of some portions of the grain. Beyond color 
depth, it is the province of overgrainiug to either warm or cool the oil grain- 
ing, to enrich or to make more sombre, according to our requirements of 
finished color, different constructive divisions of the door or other woodwork. 
In order to more simply and practically illustrate these remarks, I will take 
the required tools for overgrainiug oak in water, viz : A medium oak over- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



grainer (Fig. 15, " Grainers' Tools," shown in the opening chapter), the 
badger-hair softener (Fig. 16), a small piece of sponge, a piece of wash leather 
and a partly worn paint tool, and with these finish graining our door. 
The paint tool, which will answer the purpose of a mottler (Fig. 5) for our 
present purpose, must be perfectly free from oil paint or grease of any kind. 

The water pigments used for overgraining oak are principally Vandyke 
brown, ivory black, blue black, and occasionally the siennas and Prussian or 
indigo blue. As I purpose devoting the succeeding chapter to a brief resume 
of the varieties of oak, and the grounds, graining colors, and pigments used 
for such, I confine m3'self here to a description of the 7nodus operandi, and of 
those pigments only which I prefer to use in finishing a door already combed 
and figured in imitation of very light or new oak. To this end, I take a 
little each of Vandyke brown and blue black (both purchased ready ground 
in water), and place them upon the side of a palette (an old plate will 
answer), and have also at hand the tools just mentioned and a little diluted 
beer in a vessel. Had I a large amount of work before me to overgrain in 
water, it would be preferable to stain a quantity of the liquid to the desired 
depth and color in a vessel ; but with only one door side this is not 
necessary. 

Vandyke brown is the pigment most extensively used for overgraining 
oak, its richness and transparency making it suitable for all varieties. For 
the new-oak color applied to our door this pigment alone would give our 
finished work too warm a general tone. I therefore stain a little of the beer 
with a little blue black and Vandyke upon the plate, then dip the long oak 
overgrainer (Fig. 15) into the beer, which makes the hair cling together; 
and here I work the stained liquid into it, which is ready prepared on the 
plate. If the overgrainer had not naturally formed itself into the two or 
three divisions of hair, I could easily have given it that effect with the 
fingers. With the brush well charged, 5'ou see, I now place the hair thus 
divided upon a panel, and draw it down in line with the grain. This 
shading I prefer to apply rather sparingl}^ down the figured half of the 
panel, and, as I replenish the brush after each continuous stroke from top to 
bottom of panel, notice that the hairs must not separate into divisions of too 
fine a nature, which would give a " liney " effect to the panels. Before the 
markings have had time to dry, I now take the badger, and, with a gentle 
"flicking" motion across the panel, ease off the hard edge of each line. 
Having similarly treated the two upper panels, the shading being only just 
noticeable, I take the tool, and with an equally thin wash, I put in a few 
broader horizontal shades upon the lower panels, placing them where the 
grain has been given any decided curl or inclination. This being softened 
off at once, the lock rail, with its sap, is next treated. The sponge is now 
dipped into the stained wash, and then, well charged, is " dabbed " against 
the knots, or center of the heart. Before the color can run down I bring 
the badger into play, and by it, with a facility acquired with practice, the 



22 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

color is manipulated into a patch, with its darkest parts over the knot and 
its extreme limits so softened as to be nearly imperceptible. Now I take 
the damp leather, and, by folding it and using my thumb, wipe a couple of 
sections cleanly out of the knot shade. The badger gives a final softening, 
and, having put in, with the tool, an occasional dark shade where the sap 
takes any decidedly "knotty" turns, the rail is finished. The two short 
stiles between the pairs of panels I now shade with a darker wash of a 
warmer tone, wiping out a light where the grain turns. Across the top 
rail the tool is now crossed at broadly regular intervals in a very light wash, 
and then well softened across. The outer long stiles are finished with solid 
shading, while the wide bottom rail I leave with a dark shading to the 
lower half, and lighter effect on the top edge, so that the joint of the same 
with the small stile between the lower panels is emphasized and clearly pre- 
served to the eye. 

The plan above described for overgraining, in the ordinary sense, a four- 
panel door is one that preserves the unity of the structure to the eye. If 
there is too much cross shading to the panels or rails, the effect is not con- 
conducive to repose, while the general darkening of the stiles, especially the 
outer ones, frames up a door very pleasingly. The strength of the washes 
used must always be so faint that, when varnished, the two oil and water 
processes become mellowed into one effect. If the overgraining is sufficiently 
obtrusive — either by difference of color or depth of shade — to allow it to be 
clearly picked out by the eye from the combing beneath, it is overdone. 
There are many other simple and woody treatments for overgraining oak, 
and these the learner will be best able to acquire by the study of masses of 
real wood, and especiall}^ the finished graining of experienced workers. 

Shading, or glazing, oak is a process b}^ which either old or new grain- 
ing can be altered in tone or color by using oil color. As this requires no 
megilphiug, a drying mixture sim]3ly needs to be stained according to 
desired color. Grainers occasionally glaze over portions of their new work, 
such as the stiles as above treated, with the same graining color, and may 
also coat the panel moldings with the same. In matching old graining, the 
oil glazing process may be useful in helping to get the mellowness which, 
independent of the graining, the ageing of varnish gives to work. Whether 
used partially, as just indicated, or as a means of converting light-grained 
oak into medium, or medium into dark oak, this is a practice that any intel- 
ligent worker who has mastered the foregoing will easily be able to accomp- 
lish. Occasionally the glazing principle is reversed, if I may so term it, in 
this manner: The panel is rubbed in, figured with fights and half-lights, 
but not combed ; when this is dry, the oil color is again spread thereon, 
and the imitation of grain obtained with combs of gutta-percha, cork or a 
similar soft material. The grain which crosses the lights is then wiped 
cleanly away, and the work is finally overgrained and varnished. It is very 
obvious that this method would be too tedious for all ordinary purposes, but 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 23 

the zealous student will not fail to practically study a process which is 
capable of being developed into imitations far more realistic and natural in 
effect than the usual method will allow. 

Whether the workers use gutta-percha, steel or leather combs ; whether 
he wipes his figure with nail or thumb-piece, or shades in oil or water-color, 
are really but secondary considerations. Providing thegrainer understands 
and feels what effects he is working to obtain — a knowledge to be derived 
only from painstaking study of natural samples, which cannot be reiterated 
too persistently herein — and providing, beyond this, that his study of the 
nature and qualities of the materials and tools he uses is of an equally 
thorough description, then unceasing application can and will find its own 
methods, and success alene will justify them. 



CHAPTER IV. 

GROUNDS AND GRAINING COLORS FOR ALI, VARIETIES OF OAK. 

THE justly deserved popularity of oak graining for woodwork in situ- 
ations which are very much exposed to hard usage and wear, is a 
fact pateiit to most of us. A passing glance at the houses in a street 
of any English town or city will usually discover that nine out of ten of 
the front doors are so treated ; and although we find that amongst the aris- 
tocratic quarters of the metropolis and other large centres, very dark shades 
of bronze green, maroon, " leather," or cinnamon colors are much in vogue, 
with here and there an entrance door of enameled ivory white, oak graining 
of some shade and color is still well patronized even in these high places. 
Notwithstanding the " monetary aspect " is, without doubt, the main reason 
of this partiality to oak for front doors — since woodwork finished in plain, 
varnished colors requires double the amount of preparatory work that suffices 
for work to be grained on — the patrons of the imitative art are sufficiently 
numerous among the wealthier residents of most towns to foster amongst 
grainers the study and introduction of distinct varieties of color, instead of 
the monotonous repetition of ordinary polished oak. To this cause, far 
more than to any considerations of their suitability for intcrio?'- work, 
the use of "light oak," "medium," "dark," "antique," and other 
similarly termed graining effects, is undoubtedly due. In the papers upon 
oak graining already published in The Western Painter, I have confined 
my efforts to instructing the learner how to proceed in the imitation of or- 
dinary figured oak of one color only — viz., light, or wainscot, oak. My ob- 
ject in vSo doing — that the energies and attentiin of both writer and student 
might the better be concentrated upon the imitation of grain and figure — 
being now, I trust, satisfactorily fulfilled, it is here desirable, in order to 
obtain some measure of completeness, that the learner should extend his 
knowledge and practical study to those other varieties of figured oak, the 
demand for, and advantages of, which have been already briefly indicated. 
The basis of all oil paints wh.\c]\ are prepared as grounding colors for 
oak graining is, invariably — or should be — ordinary white lead, ground in 
linseed oil. Although when mixing the ground for a very dark, or antique, 
oak, the amount of such is, naturally, much less in proportion to that re- 
quired for light or medium grounds, it is preferable to consider the colored 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 25 

pigments as purely staining factors — called " stainers " — than as "body" 
or base pigments. Beyond the main consideration of tint or shade — a ques- 
tion materially affected by the lead — it may be pointed out, with advantage, 
that none of the ordinary colored pigments furnish the opacity or solidity, 
nor the desired amount of durability, that white lead is noted for. Whilst 
in respect to the colors of oak, the grainer who always uses white lead is 
seldom guilty of those unnaturally bright and garish grounds which are 
wrong from every point of view. Sufficient white lead for one's purpose, 
therefore, with the addition of the very best obtainable driers, having been 
well broken up in linseed oil, the stainers are added, and well mixed, until 
the required color is obtained. The paint should then be strained through 
a piece of old stocking, or such like mesh, and, finally, thinned to working 
consistency with about two-thirds of linseed oil to one of turpentine; or, if 
required with less gloss and to be quickly grained upon, the proportions may 
be reversed. 

The pigments used for oak in all its varieties, whether for grounds or 
graining paints, may be briefly classified as either opaque or transparent. 
Under the first heading are the chromes, Oxford and yellow ochres, and Ve- 
netian red ; and these should only be used as stainers in making "grounds." 
Although the degree of transparency possessed by the colors in the other di- 
vision varies considerably, not only one from the other, but with different 
qualities of one pigment, they are sufficiently translucent to give due effect 
to any colored ground they are superimposed upon. Raw and burnt sienna 
— or Ten^a di Sienna — raw and burnt Turkey umber and Vandyke brown, 
are the most useful of this class ; whilst for the purposes of glazing and over- 
graining, ivory and blue blacks, with the Prussian and indigo blue, may be 
added to the list — the blues being, however, seldom required or advisable. 

Chrome, of either the "middle" or "orange" color, may be useful, to a 
slight extent, in staining ground colors when very bright and rich imitations 
are desired. If used with other more sombre stainers to lower its tone 
somewhat, and providing the graining color and overgraining are used to 
still more modify its native brightness, the effect may justify the means ; 
but, generally considered, chrome is neither conducive to good coloring or a 
natural, woody effect. Although one may sometimes see a door grounded 
with a bright chrome-yellow tint for light oak, or a decided orange-red color 
for medium oak, such will certainly not be the work of one who has studied 
and worked from the real woods, much less of a good grainer. 

Yelloiv ochre, Oxford ochre, Italian ochre, and so forth, are all of one 
similar nature and color, their main difference being that of quality and 
price, and the degree of warmth or redness noticeable — the so-termed "Ox- 
ford" being the richest. Their proper function in graining is purely that 
of staining the white lead paint for ground colors. It is no uncommon mat- 
ter to see an incompetent person prepare graining color with this pigment, a 
use which it is totally unsuited for, since, being decidedly opaque by nature, 



26 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



the due effect of the ground it is spread upon is very much marred. If very 
rich and light oak is required, raw sienna is the yellow pigment which 
ought to be used, but even this is seldom required as decided yellow and 
bright tones are not true characteristics of real oak colors. The ordinary 
commercial yellow ochre is, moreover the only one of this class of pigments 
we need use, since the addition of a little Venetian red will ■ make any warm 
tint desired. This latter pigment, a species of (5/^r;// ochre — whereby the red- 
ness is acquired — is the only one commendable for obtaining warmth in 
grounds, not only for oak, but also for the red imitations of mahogany, etc. 
Turning to the transparent and semi-transparent pigments, raw and burnt 
umbers are the two most useful amongst them, and, as such, demand a little 
more notice in these graining papers than they have heretofore received. 

Uinbcr is a natural pigment, consisting of a mixture of clays and brown 
hematite, originally obtained from Umbra, whence its name. The best is 
now obtained from Cyprus, and is usually known as Turkey umber. Be- 
sides the usual washing and grinding, which all such native pigments have 
to undergo before being fit for commercial use, the umber is subjected to a 
moderate amount of heat to obtain the tone we know as i-aiu umber — an al- 
most neutral brown. When strongly heated, the pigment attains to more 
warmth and richness, and we then have the burnt umber of commerce. 
This pigment is also largely produced from other artificial sources, the bulk 
of cheap umbers being of this kind. Besides being valuable on account of 
their transparency, the umbers are also particularly noted for their good 
drying qualities in oil, so much so, that under certain circumstances they 
may be employed as drying factors. For graining purposes in oil color this 
is a verj' commendable propert}', and one which the competent worker will 
practically bear in mind when using large proportions of the pigments. If 
the grainer was possessed of only the raw and burnt umbers for staining his 
oil graining paint, the imitation of varieties of oak color would rather gain 
than lose in natural color status; for the former is not to be bettered, gener- 
ally, for very light imitations, whilst burnt umber may be used from light 
to the darkest of "antique" oaks. They are, further, invaluable for mix- 
ing grounds. 

Raiv and burnt sienna, which were described fully in the preceding pa- 
pers, are useful for oak colors when a forced richness is required. Similar 
in nature and preparation to the umbers, they appear rather more transpa- 
rent than the latter, but lack the natural drying qualities of umber when 
used in oil. Their chief province in graining is for those imitations of 
woods which are obtained with pigments ground in water, and for mahogany, 
maple, walnut, etc., they are almost indispensable. 

Vandyke brown is also an earth pigment, which owes both its name and, 
I believe, its popularity to the celebrated Dutch painter, by whom it was 
largel}^ used. Our modern Vandyke differs but slightly in nature and prep- 
aration from the original pigment. It is a very dark and rich brown, neither 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 27 

inclining to yellow or red, but yet so rich and deep as to make ivory 
black look poor against it. Since in its nature it partakes largely of bitu- 
minous substances, it is a remarkably sloiv drier, and if used alone in oil 
will require to be diluted with little else than terebine or a similar drying 
hquid. "Japan gold size," it may here be mentioned, is not a suitable drier 
to use with linseed oil paints ; terebine is far preferable, although with 
turpentine mixtures the gold size is an admirable drier. Like the siennas, 
Vandyke brown is mostly used for graining when ground in water. In 
overgraining oak, it is the principal pigment used, its color, in water, being 
usually warmer and richer than when used in oil. 

The few remaining pigments mentioned with the transparent colors for 
oak graining are all of the "cold type" — viz., neutral blacks and blues. Of 
the former, blue black is the most useful for oak and that principally for 
overgraining in combination with Vandyke. Black is also useful in mixing 
the dark, "drabby" grounds necessary for obtaining very "ancient" oaks. 
To some of my readers who have worked, perhaps, in a professional way at 
graining, the use of the transparent blues of Prussian and indigo may seem 
a questionable, or, to say the least, a curious, innovation. To those whose 
minds are open to the results of experiments and practical experience, I 
commend the study of such natural oak color effects as are to be obtained by 
using occasional touches of " bluish " washes made from the above transpa- 
rent pigments. It must be remembered that richness of color in woods, as in 
polychromatic effects, is but a matter of comparison and contrast, and there- 
fore, if, instead of forcing their color values by bright grounds, bright grain- 
ing color and richer overgraining, some contrasting cool tones are introduced, 
it is possible to obtain more natural color variety and yet retain the native 
modesty of the real oak contrasts. One of the most successful pieces of in- 
terior oak graining that I remember to have come across was such an exam- 
ple, Vv^hich had been worked upon a ground slightly " cooled " with blue, 
and with a graining color anything but rich in tone. Again, Prussian and 
indigo when ground in water are vastly different to the same prepared in 
oil ; whilst the mellowness given by ordinary copal or oak varnish is, gen- 
erally speaking, very much in excess of that which either shellac or wax 
polishing will give to real oak. It is by far the better plan to work the 
first stages of a good piece of oak in sober tones, leaving to the glazing and 
overgraining to enrich, if necessary, the work, than to start with a false 
brightness, and, in the final phase, struggle to modify the fault. 

The binding of distemper graining pigments may here be touched upon 
ere concluding this paper with a few definite recipes for oak colors. The 
principle which underlies the use of a gum with water-color painting, and 
with which the pigments are fixed to the paper, is the same when the water 
colors are connected with graining. Beer for the latter purpose is, however, 
the usually accepted binding medium. Although it was once a recognized 
imposition for the grainer to represent beer — and that in no very minute 



28 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



quantity — as absolutely necessary to his work, a more honest and educated 
knowledge is now current. Vandyke brown requires no binder for over- 
graining in water, and the siennas but very Httle, and that in exceptional 
cases. When using black or the cool tones— either alone or in combination 
with warmer colors — a little beer is necessary, since black has no binding 
power of itself. Although if mixed with Vandyke in equal proportions, the 
latter will bind the black also, it is always best to be sure that the over- 
graining will not work up when varnishing our work. For black alone, 
when finishing "antique" oak, the wash must be strong in beer ; and for 
mixed washes, the half beer is a safe proportion. For the student's future 
use and reference I now append a short list as a guide in mixing grounds 
and graining colors of the varieties I have indicated, at the same time com- 
mending him to work ultimately more by knowledge and understanding 
than by recipe. 

For very light oak the ground color is made from white lead paint, 
tinted to a desired cream with yellow ochre. The graining color may be 
stained with raw sienna and raw umber, or the latter alone ; and the work 
overgrained in water with Vandyke brown and blue black or indigo, used 
very weak in color. 

Ordinary light oak requires a clean buff ground, stained by ochre, and 
occasionally a touch of Venetian red or umber, according to required warmth 
or coolness. Raw umber is sufficient for the graining color, or burnt umber, 
if desired of a richer cast ; Vandyke and blue black for overgraining. 

Medium oak is best upon a warm buff, the red and ochre therein being 
slightly toned down with umber. Burnt umber alone makes a splendid 
graining color, and Vandyke is usually sufficient for shading. 

For dark oak the grounds are best made with three pigments — ochre, 
burnt sienna, and burnt umber. The best grounds for this variety, although 
showing a decided yellow cast, require more umber than the preceding one. 
The presence of red should be very apparent in the mixture, but both that 
and the yellowness should be sobered by umber. The graining color may 
be burnt umber, or burnt sienna and black, overgrained with black and 
Vandyke washes, either used separately or as a mixture. 

Very dark or antique oak graining has been of late years in comparatively 
strong demand — a treatment doubtless introduced by the use of so much 
ammonia-fumigated real oak. A neutral "drabby " ground is most suited 
for this, both the red and yellow being very subservient to the umber or 
black tones. The graining color for this may be either Vandyke ground in 
oil, or ivor}' black and burnt umber ; whilst the overgraining will give very 
deep and transparent effects if blue black or even ivory black is used. A 
little Vandyke toning — here and there — will improve the work in its en- 
tirety. Vandyke alone for the overgraining will make it very rich, but 
transparent black tones are more characteristic of the real ' ' antique ' ' color. 

Mechanical and patent aids and imitations will be considered in a special 
chapter. 



CHAPTER V. 

GRAINING OAK IN .SPIRIT COLOR AND WATER COLOR. 

THE methods of imitating figured oak which I now purpose describing, 
although neither so durable nor popular as the oil-graining process, 
are well worth the attention of the practical grainer and the aspirants 
thereto amongst my readers. The nature of oil-graining color we know to 
be similar to ordinary oil paint — so far as the drying or oxidization goes. 
In both mixtures the oil hardens into a film or " skin, " of a horny nature, 
and this action, however it may be properly accelerated by drying agents, 
should never be forced to completion in a less period than eight hours of fair 
weather. If oil color is made to dry in much less than this time, the work 
must suffer in respect to durabilit}' ; whilst in manipulating the color the 
grainer is unduly handicapped. The interval of a proper peri'od of time, 
for external work especially, between the various coatings of white lead 
paint, the graining, overgraining and final varnishing of oil-grained oak, is 
a matter of much importance, and although the writer would .scarcely advise 
fixed and arbitrary times between each coating or process — as advocated by 
some experienced grainers — it is very necessary that the worker should 
thoroughly realize the difference between paint which is only surface dry 
and that which is hard ''right through.'" With these considerations in 
one's mind, it follows that painting and re-graining woodwork in oil .should 
be a work extending over seven to fourteen days. This length of time for 
a single door would often make it a prohibitive work ; and, as in some cases, 
if a master had to send his man a long journey, the time occupied by going 
and coming so many times would be greater than that required for the 
work. It is customary in most places for a plain painter to prepare and 
ground \he door for graining; and if the usual two preceding coats are .suf- 
ficient, then it is possible, by graining the door in one of the methods under 
notice, for the worker to both grain and varnish upon the same day, and 
that without any detriment to the job, or so much dependence upon the 
atmosphere. 

The advantages of graining oak in spirit color go further than this time- 
saving point of convenience, however, for another distinctive feature of such 
a quick dr3dng imitation is the small risk of it getting " smudged " or rubbed 
off by the passer-by. In the denseh^'-packed thoroughfares of Newgate 
street, Cheapside, and similar central spots of I^ondon and the other large 



JO THE ART OF GRAINING. 



cities, the friendly warning of the white chalk markings would be very 
quickly obliterated from the pavement; whilst the" push and scramble" 
method of pedestrianism that the busy man must adopt, makes it impossible 
to trouble about such minor affairs as rubbing the grainers' work. 

The vafiire aiid preparation of spirit graining color are best explained 
together. The chief feature of the mixture is the, necessarily, entire 
absence therefrom of hnseed oil in its native condition, and, generally, in 
any form. The term ''spirit color'' — a misnomer — is derived from the fact 
that the volatile oil of turpentine is the chief fluid, or solvent, used in the 
mixture. Turpentine alone, although containing a small proportion of 
resin, is not in itself a binding or fixing agent, so that this latter property 
must be added in the form of varnish. In mixing spirit graining color, all 
ordinary conditions of manipulation are sacrificed to the chief object of ob- 
taining a very quick drying process. The best varnish to use is, therefore, 
a so-called spirit varnish : viz., one in which turpentine is the solvent. 
There are several kinds of varnishes made on this basis suitable for the 
purpose ; the most reliabls is that known as white hard Bath varnish. It is 
very necessary here to point out the entirely different natures of the above 
and the ordinary "white hard" shellac varnish; the latter, having 
alcohol as the solvent, is utterly unsuited for the purpose under notice. 
The proportion of spirit varnish to turpentine is more a matter of each cir- 
cumstance than of rule ; but a maximum of one of varnish to three of ' ' turps ' ' 
may be taken as a basis of computation. Although we must still, theoreti- 
cally look upon the graining color as a stain— viz., a translucent fluid — it 
is necessary to add a little body to the liquid, as well as the pigments or 
" stainers. " Thisisbestobtained with the aid of a little whiting. " Gilder's'''' 
whiting implies the best and finest washed quality, and this should be used 
when possible. If free from moisture, it will be readily amenable to the 
palette-knife, and should be well rubbed up into a paste by the aid of tur- 
pentine. This whiting paste is now stained to the proper color by the aid 
of such grainers' pigments as raw or burnt sienna, raw or burnt Turkey 
umber, and ivorj^ black — the latter ground in "turps, " and the others "in 
oil." Lest the proportion of whiting should trouble the worker, I may 
point out the similarity between the required quantity of this and the 
amount of patent paste driers that one would use — but for a different pur- 
pose — in compounding oil graining color : a few ounces to the pound, or 
pint, in both cases. Whiting and pigment being mixed together, and the 
required color obtained, the varnish should be then introduced, and well 
incorporated with the former in the pot, and the turps finally added and 
well stirred. Before starting the work, it is well to test the color for binding 
qualities. Should the fluid, when dry, not beary'^?/;- rubbing, a little more 
varnish is required ; whilst if it has any decided gloss when dry, it will 
stand diluting with more turps, and will also spread more satisfactorily 
therefrom. Experience and practice will, after one or two essays, give the 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 31 

grainer all confidence in his proportions and mixing, providing pure tur- 
pentine and a varnish of the same strength and nature are always used. 

Although the above varnishes are the best and most reliable for dura- 
bility and quickness of drying, copal oil varnish or japan gold size maj^ be 
substituted for the copal spirit varnish as the drying or binding factor. 
The ordinary "church oak" varnish would work up a mixture to dry in 
about four hours, and the gold size would be as quick as any varnish. The 
latter, however, would not be of so durable a nature, nor would the " church 
oak " be as quick as the Bath varnish ; but if this cannot be conveniently 
obtained, equal quantities of " japanners " and church oak will make a good 
substitute for spirit varnish. Having, in the preceding paper, exhaustively 
treated "grounds, " graining colors and pigments for oak, the student will 
readily apply its contents to this process oi spirit graining. As a matter of 
very great convenience and economy, I would commend the use of the finest 
umbers, etc., which are put up in pound collapsible tubes by all the best 
color manufacturers. Although about double the price of the ordinary 
" keg " pigments, which are sold at "per cwt. " rates, they are cheaper to 
the grainer in the long run. For instance, if a grainer had a three-mile 
walk to reach his one or two doors which he wishes to grain and varnish 
"right off, " his material need only be a little mixed turps and varnish in a 
can, a small knob of gilders' whiting, his door varnish, and a tube of burnt 
umber and raw sienna. With these he could grain either light or dark oak, 
would have good, rich colors, and would not want to strain grit and ' ' skins ' ' 
away before using. Should the worker be compelled to use the common, 
imperfectly washed whiting, it is best to dry it well, and the color must be 
strained through fine muslin before being used. 

To grain a door in spirit color no special experience or knowledge is re- 
quired other than the ability to grain oak in oil, and an intelligent application 
of the sa.me: principles to the different natures of the two mixtures. In prac- 
tice we must treat spirit graining in the same manner as when overgraining 
in water color, working it in separate portions. In graining a door, it is 
necessary to rub in one panel at a time, using a wide brush to quickly and 
evenly spread the color, and then putting a slight grain in by drawing a 
dusting brush down it. A further grain is at once given by using fine and 
medium steel combs, and the panel is then allowed to set. When all are so 
treated, the mouldings are worked. Althotigh when "rubbing in" the 
panels, the surrounding mouldings may have been brushed with the color, 
it will be found that under the influence of the turps solvent, the parts so 
touched will soon " rub up " again, and allow us to give an even coating to 
the whole of them. Whatever the nature of the mouldings, it is best to 
finish them with a dry brush, streaking or stippling them in a " woody ' ' 
manner, and making them slightly darker and contrasting to the remainder 
of the door. In the same way as a door is painted we now proceed with the 
cross rails and then the stiles, and, as I have pointed out when overgraining 



32 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

oak, the distemper mixture is a most useful process to the student ; the 
and clean. For the process now described, a piece of rag dipped into turps 
and a fine bevel edge lath or a strip of zinc will enable us to wipe the inter- 
sections cleanly. Working and combing each division at a time, we are 
thus able to get almost as much variety and cleanliness as in graining with 
oil color. 

By the time the framing of a door is rubbed in and combed, the door 
itself will be dry and ready for veining. It is now that different methods 
are necessary, for instead of wiping out the graining color with rag and 
thumb piece, as in the oil process, we use a veining fitch (see Fig. 12, 
Chapter I., of this series), and put in the "lights" with a solvent strong 
enough to dissolve the spirit graining color wherever we paint it on. In 
using spirit color made from spirit varnish and turps, and providing suf- 
ficient only of the former is used to bind it, then a solution of common soda 
is the best and cleanest solvent. This fluid having been prepared the 
desired strength, a little water-pigment is added to stain it sufficiently for 
the grainer to follow the brush markings as they are put in. Upon referring 
to the illustration of veining fitch, it will be seen that the hair is arranged 
in one tuft of long bristles, broad, but with a thin edge. This is manipu- 
lated to get the same broad and narrow effects as are obtained with the 
"thumb piece" of similar shape. Practice with the veining fitch will, of 
course, be very necessary before the grainer can use it quickly and naturally. 
These brushes, which are made in various sizes, are held with the fingers 
and thumb — like a stick of willow charcoal in sketching large forms. 
Lightness and delicacy of action are very necessary to put sufficient only of 
the solvent for our purpose without any superfluity to run down and spoil 
the panel. When the soda has done its work, the door must be well washed 
down with cold watei and dried with a wash-leather. 

In using graining color of a stronger nature, it may be found advisable 
to use turpentine as the solvent instead of soda water. When this is the 
case, the grainer. uses a wide pad of soft flannel, and draws off" the turps 
after making a few veins. The effect of the wiping is somewhat softer than 
the soda process, and, as it is also more convenient, we find it used to a 
greater extent on the city warehouses than the soda. Turpentine, when so 
used, requires to be stained in the same way as the soda water; or the 
veining may be executed by diluting the spirit color with more turpentine. 

All such work of the average quality must now be overgrained, and 
this process I have already explained. Should there be any difficulty — as 
is often the case when overgraining — in getting the water color to spread 
properly on our grained work, the simplest way is to sponge it over with 
beer and water in equal proportions, or to rub it over with a little powdered 
whiting on a rag. The shading, dapple, etc., can then be put in, and in a 
short time the grainer will find his work ready for the finishing process of 
varnishing. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



33 



Graining oak in distemper, or water color, is a process so little in de- 
mand nowadays that a brief outline only of the work appears necessary. 
Since it is but a little, if at all, quicker than the spirit graining, and as it 
lacks other practical advantages common to the preceding process, there are 
but a few points upon which to commend it. The raw and burnt umbers 
are the chief pigments used, and these must be purchased of a superior 
quality to the common umbers sold in powder form. The pigment being 
rubbed up in dilute beer, and the desired color obtained, the mixture is 
then brushed over a panel. A small piece of damp sponge is now used to 
wipe off some portions of the color and give variety of perpendicular shade. 
A dusting- brush or badger is next drawn down the panel, and a fine grain 
thus obtained ; india rubber combs may be used for the grain also. For 
veining, a damp wash-leather is placed over the "thumb piece" and the 
"lights" and halftones are quickh' wiped out and softened slightly with 
the badger. If the graining color is used very strong in beer, the work, 
when perfectly dry, will allow us to put an overgrain upon the first color. 
When such is desired, a thin oak overgrainer can be dipped into a weaker 
solution of graining color and drawn over the work, as in overgraining oak 
in oil. It must be borne in mind, however, that if the first color is rubbed 
to any extent, the grain and figures will be "smudged. " Should it be 
desired to make a sure job of the overgraining, it is advisable to paint over 
the first water grain with a thin coat of japan gold size and turps in equal 
proportions ; this will dry within one hour, and the work can then be over- 
grained and shaded in water in safety. In using distemper graining on 
doors, etc., the same conditions of working in portions apply as to the spirit 
graining. For acquiring facility and confidence in wiping out the lights of 
the same portions, the joints between rail and stile must be worked sharp 
panel can be rubbed over and grained ad lib. , and the absence of smell and 
substitution of the damp wash-leather for linen rag are both appreciable 
conveniences to home practice. 

Overgraining or " oak graining " metal rollers are particularly valuable 
for finishing in good style the spirit-grained work ; in such cases the roller 
grain is executed with water color, and after the panels are shaded with the 
brush. 

Distemper graining is also used very considerably in finishing cheap 
furniture. As this is somewhat a distinct line from house graining, and 
also a subject likely to prove usefully interesting to many readers, I hope, 
further on, to devote a short paper to this branch. 



CHAPTER VI. 

GRAINING POLLARD OAK AND KNOTTED OAK. 

THE subject of my present paper marks a distinct step forward in the 
path of progress for the student of graining, since we shall now 
take in hand the imitation of a beautiful variety of oak wood, and 
which is obtained by the distemper, or ' ' water-graining ' ' process. 
So far, these lessons have dealt with the latter merely as an accessory to oil 
color graining — as in the "over-graining" of oak. The graining of the 
" Pollard " variety, however, opens up a new sphere of study and practice 
for the learner, which will prove even more interesting than the work apper- 
taining to imitations of the ordinary, or " maiden " oak. It is a fact fully 
recognized by all " imitators " of experience that facility in wiping out the 
" lights " of oak is acquired by some workers far more rapidly than others ; 
whilst, on the other hand, we repeatedly find the grainers who " shine " in 
oil imitations often outstripped in speed and beauty of results — when it comes 
to distemper graining — by the same slow workers who were previously out- 
shone. Such, certainly, has been the results of the writer's observation and 
experience ; my purpose, however, is not merely to notice the fact herein, 
but to prepare the student who puts these papers to a practical use for an 
entirely different method of working, in which, according to his individual 
faculties, his previous rate of progress may be somewhat reversed. No 
learner must take upon himself, from these few general remarks, to deduce 
an excuse for neglecting the painstaking study of and practice from real 
specimens of veined oak ; for proficiency in any branch can only be acquired 
through the medium of correct knowledge and continuous practice. 

Pollard Oak is a variety that may here with advantage be briefly con- 
sidered, both with respect to its nature and appearance, and the cause of its 
beauty and markings. The meaning of the word ' ' pollard ' ' is easily dis- 
covered by reference to a simple dictionary, and, although at first glance 
the connection between " poll " — the head — and "pollard " — a tree lopped — 
with "the art of graining" may appear rather remote, their meaning gives 
the key-note of the explanation. Pollard, or rather "pollarded," oak 
belongs to the same natural class of oak as the ordinary figured variety, rtit 
striking appearance of which, however, is brought about by combined eah- 
ficial and natural means. In most parts of the country there is a sufficiency 
of fuel without cutting or lopping oiBF the branches of the trees ; but when by 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



35 



accident or design, an oak tree is so treated during its growth, then the 
trunk will display the results of this "pollarding." We are unable here to 
examine into the botanical cause and effect of such matters, but it must be 
understood that the junction of a branch with the parent trunk of the oak 
tree is characterized by a growth of knots and irregular, twisted grain. 
When, therefore, these "arms" are lopped off, the knots and roots of the 
branch still remain connected with the heart of the tree ; so that, provided 
the pollarding be executed at intervals of a few years, as the tree grows, 
the parent stem, when cut into long planks, will eventually display these 
clusters of knots, this gnarled and twisted grain, with intervening spaces of 
plainer grain, and which condition we know as pollard oak. 





Fig. 1.— Pollard Oak; First Stage. Fig. 2.— Pollard Oak; Second Stage. 

The brushes required for this imitation are a large thick, mottler (Chap- 
ter I.) ; a large sash tool, such as that advised for overgraining ordinary oak ; 
the indispensable badger, a piece of old open sponge, a wash leather, a couple 
of round fitches, medium and small sizes, and, later on, the sable pencil and 
overgrainer, depicted as Figs. 21 and 8, respectively, in Chapter I. 

The ground color for pollard oak should be a warm buff, very similar to 
the ground advised in the chapter on oak grounds for medium oak, but 
slightly richer. This is best made from white lead, Oxford ochre, a little 
Venetian red, and, when the imitation is required to be of a " quiet ' ' nature, 



36 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



a little burnt umber will improve the color. Occasionally we may come 
across directions and instructions upon this subject, which advise the ground 
to be made from chrome, vermilion and white lead. The brightness of such 
a combination would spoil the natural effiect of any graining, however 
' ' woody ' ' the figure may be. 

The importance of working and studying from natural specimens I have 
repeatedly drawn attention to ; and the young grainer will find a piece of 
real pollard oak one of the best investments he can make. A good specimen 
of this wood is somewhat difficult to obtain, and I, therefore, for the time 
being, will aim to make the student acquainted with the appearance and 
method of imitating Xh^ figure— until he is able to secure the coveted sample — 
by the poor but useful substitutes of pen and pencil. With respect to the 
grounding colors and the above directions for mixing, I may state that most 
grainers err on the side of brightness. The appearance of two real specimens 
I have in front of my table as I write may be given in support of this. 
Piece No. I. has been French polished, and kept under fair conditions in my 
possession for many years ; its color is decidedly warm, and very rich ; but 
even this could not be well copied without a slight dash of umber in the 
ground. The other sample has been merely well oiled, and in no way arti- 
ficially colored. To match this latter piece the ground would have to be 
that for an ordinary medium oak : viz., a slightly warm buff; the idea of 
graining it upon a vermilion and chrome tinted ground would be an absurd one. 
In imitating pollard oak, there are two commendable but slightly different 
treatments, the working of which I will now explain. The first of these 
aims at reproducing the general effect of the wood in a broad and natural 
manner, and upon the ordinary buff 6ak ground, with complete results akin 
to the real uncolored wood. The other style of imitation is worked on more, 
if I may so term it, conventional lines ; the ground is made for a warm and 
very rich final tone, such as the real thing would acquire from colored pol- 
ishing and age ; whilst the plain and knotty features of the grain are more 
distinctly separated, and the detail of which is more minutely and pains- 
takingly rendered. Both of these treatments are worth studying. That 
first mentioned is mostly practiced in the West of England, but in the 
northern counties the more conventional "pollard" is chiefly favored and 
practiced. 

The illustrations of graining pollard oak accompanying this description 
refer to the broad, and, to coin a term, '' naturalistic " imitation ; and as this 
is the most simple for the stubent to follow, we will give our first attention 
thereto. Having the tools before mentioned conveniently to hand, and also 
a little beer, some water, and a little each of Vandyke brown, blue-black, 
and burnt sienna (all finely ground in water), we dilute the former with 
beer to a fluid form, in old plates or basins, and the sienna to a thin wash 
in a third vessel. With the large sash tool, the panel is rubbed over with 
the sienna wash, and then taking up a damp wash leather, we dab and roll 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



37 



it over portions of the surface, which gives it an irregular but connected 
mottle. (Fig. i.) This mottle is at once badgered and "softened" into 
stronger but softer masses. With a stiff round fitch dipped into the Van- 
dyke and black, we at once put in the clusters of knots of innumerable sizes 
and shapes, but giving them an open appearance, and not as if put on with 
the finger tips. This part must now stand for a few minutes until dry, when 
we pass the mottler dipped in clean, cold water, over the work, and with the 
pencil overgrainer (Fig. 8, Chapter I.), charged with a wash of Vandyke, 
put in the fine grain which crosses more or less regularly the plain spaces 
between the knots. As we do each few lines of grain we soften each indi- 





FiG. 4.- 



Knotted Oak in Oil. 



Fig. 3.— Pollard; Final Stage. 

vidual one to a dark edge by the aid of the badger ; when all are so treated, 
we take our sable pencil, and with a little black, we paint in the numberless 
fine dark veins which cr'oss in an opposite direction the fainter cross grain, 
and which work from one set of knots to another set. (Fig. 2.) The work 
must now be varnished once, or if time and cost must be considered, we 
give it a coat of japan gold size and turps in equal parts. It is then ready 
for the final glazing or overshading, which is also done in beer. 

The final glazing of the poUard oak \vax\.2X\on\2iis\. now describing is a 
similar process to the first mottling, shown in Fig. i, but instead of using 
burnt sienna, we employ a wash of fine blue-black. With the latter pigment 



38 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

we must use a fluid strong in beer, as black is a very bad binder, and this is 
one of those exceptions in which the grainer — however strong may be his 
abhorrence to it as a beverage — will find beer to be necessary. If Vand3ke 
brown is mixed with black, the strong binding powers of the former are suf- 
ficient for the two ; but as nothing is more annoying or disastrous than to 
find our glazing color working up with the final varnishing, even in the latter 
case it is best to use weak beer. Having, therefore, brushed over our panel 
with the blue-black wash, we take the wash-leather, and after wiping out a 
few sharp and small reflective lights amongst the knots, we roll the leather 
over the panel in such manner as to get more depth and transparency to the 
whole previous work. (Fig. 3.) If these methods have been carefully 
followed, the panel will give a rich and natural woody effect, and will make 
an admirable foil to the maiden oak stiles when used on doors. Where 
possible, all water-grained imitations should be worked upon the best and 
finest "brush work," and after having one finishing coat of copal varnish, 
it should stand a few days to harden. It will then be fit for " flatting " or 
felting down with finest pulverized pumice-stone rubbed with felt and water, 
and finally a good flowing coat of copal (painters' "carriage" or "copal 
oak") will give a finish, fit to last, with occasional re varnishing, for 
twenty years. 

Another imitation of pollard oak, which I have previously alluded to, is 
obtained with slightly different means, but on the same principle as that 
already described. The ground being of a richer and warmer cast, we com- 
mence with a full wash of burnt sienna ; then with the sponge dipped into 
the Vandyke, and also slightly into the blue-black, we dab in the dark 
masses of knots, and put in a few connecting touches of dark color where it 
appears desirable. With the large mottler we now work the color surrounding 
the knots into one sweeping direction, using the brush at right angles to the 
board, and thus get one natural lead across the plain spaces from one "nest " 
to another. With the round, stiff fitch we further work the grain sur- 
rounding and amongst the individual knots in the same natural, flowing 
curves as the mottler has indicated, and also "open " any knots which may 
appear too "spotty" or "set." The plainer spaces may also be mottled 
after the appearance of Fig. i in the previous process, but scarcely to an 
equal extent. The work can now all dry, and should then be wetted over, 
which our beer allows us to do without moving the colors, and then over- 
grained. Instead of the pencil overgrainer before used, we take the thin 
overgrainer (Fig. 13, Chapter I.), and, separating it into fine divisions, we 
work in the overgrain with a thin wash of Vandyke. While still wet, as 
before directed, the grain is softened to a dark edge, and then the fine dark 
markings which cross the latter are put in with the pencil and blue-black. 
The varnishing or " binding down " coating is now given, and then the 
work is glazed with Vandyke, if desired full and rich in complete effect, or 
with the blue-black or a mixture, if we wish to tone down the warmth. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 39 

Providing we use beer with our pigments, we can, with care, always wet our 
work over, and thus see the color when varnished. In the first process of 
such imitations we are therefore able to make little alterations or additions 
by re-wetting the work which may have dried too quickly for us. 

In offering these directions to the learner of graining, the writer's chief 
desire is to make the modus operandi and the reason thereof plain and appa- 
rent to those readers of The Western Painter who have no better way- 
open to them for obtaining instructions upon imitating woods. The few 
black and white illustrations which we have attempted in these papers are 
in no way given as examples or copies, but solely as pictorial aids to the 
letterpress. The advice given in my opening paperof procuring either good 
natural samples of woods, or imitations grained by a good professional 
worker, must be applied to all these varieties ; and when the student has 
obtained all the assistance he is able to gather from this present aid, his 
best plan would be to take practical lessons, directly or by intelligent obser- 
vation, from those experienced workers whose imitations are their best 
recommendations. As in all arts and crafts, practice will and must beget 
experience and knowledge, and the young grainer will often produce more 
masterly effects after a few lessons by actually watching the manipulation of 
tools and pigments by a proficient man than he would from a long study of 
real specimens alone, without instructions. 

Pollard oak vi oil may be grained in a similar manner as in water. 
The pigments, previously ground in oil, should have a little of the best 
terebine rubbed up with them, and the bright graining color, or first wash, 
should be made as the ordinary oil-graining mixtures are. The sponge, 
mottler and stiff fitches are used as in water color, and, to take the place of 
water, and keep our work moist and amenable to mottler and fitch, we sub- 
stitute turpentine. The brushes are dipped into clean turps, and then the 
superfluity pressed out before using them on our panel. The final glazing 
is worked as in the distemper process ; but we have no occasion here to var- 
nish or bind down the earlier process, in consequence of it being oil-grained. 

i?(7(?/ (?/'^a/^ is an imitation much akin to the pollard I first described. 
The grain of the wood, however, instead of " flowihg " from each set of 
knots, more in the one direction of the length of plank, is found to encircle 
the masses of knots in irregular rings of overgrain, and is marked by the 
more decided presence of the dark pencil veins. It may be of interest to 
notice that one contemporary, an experienced writer and grainer, classes all 
such specimens, with which my first method is identified, as necessarily all 
* ' root of oak, ' ' and not genuine pollard. My own real specimen, upon which 
natural appearance the process and imitation is based, was cut directly off a 
fourteen-foot plank, and, therefore, could not possibly be genuine root. It 
is very easy to understand how, when a specimen is cut from a large oak, 
that an old junction with a branch may be displayed of so large a size as to 
give it the appearance of a piece of root cut across the stump of the tree. 



40 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

With respect to this same specimen, it will scarcely be credited that, for want 
of a purchaser, or, perhaps, through ignorance of its value, the plank in 
question was being used by a country carpenter for making common coffins. 
Surely the want of trade and technical education was never better exemplified. 

Knotted oak — so called — is a useful and effective imitation of combined 
knotted and figured portions of the wood. It is commonly used, when 
graining oak in oil, for the panels, with ordinary oak stiles. It is a cheap 
attempt at the richness and variety of root of oak grained in oil, and although 
it is often as " nasty " as cheap, there are many grainers who make a good 
door with the panels so varied. I append a brief description of the working 
and a black and white "suggestion" of its appearance. (Fig. 4.) 

The color for knotted oak is a warm, rich buff ground with a dash of 
umber therein, and the graining-color the best burnt Turkey umber. A 
little of the pigment having been made to ordinary working consistency, the 
panel is rubbed in evenly, and then one side slightly combed. With a stiff, 
round fitch we now take up a little pure umber, only slightly thinned with 
terebine, and put in the dark knots ; then, with another larger fitch, work 
round these, and give them and the surrounding space a growing motion 
towards the other half of the panel. We now put in the fine, neat lights 
across the slightly combed half, and with a lead towards the knots ; and 
then with a pencil and rag we work up — adding to or taking from — the 
knotted hall according to the circumstances, "time and cost," of the job. 
When dry, we overgrain in distemper with a wash of Vandyke. The com- 
bined treatment of figure and knots gives full scope for display in the last 
process, and a creditable and natural effect may thus be obtained without 
much more cost than of a panel oi maiden oak. 



CHAPTER VII. 

USEFUL METHODS OF GRAINING AND FINISHING CHEAP FURNITURE. 

WITH a view to avoid any feeling of dry monotony which the con- 
tinuance of a set of papers of a purely instructive and theoretical 
nature might result in to the general reader of The Western 
Painter, I purpose to vary these lessons by occasional chapters dealing 
not so much with the art and technical aspect of graining as with the prac- 
tical and every-day purposes to which the instructions can be applied. In 
due course, a consideration of the decorative application of these imitations 
may furnish herein some matter of interest and, I hope, guidance to opera- 
tive painters and grainers especially. For the present, however, we will 
content ourselves with putting into practice some of the knowledge and 
skill which the student should have now acquired from this series. 

The furniture of the home, be it ever so common and plain, is a topic 
that every reader can be interested in. Notwithstanding it may be re- 
marked with perfect truth that the learner who, from a preceding lesson, 
can grain a door will surely be able to grain a wardrobe, there is much in- 
formation that can with advantage be tendered such a one upon the above 
imperative conditions of method and cost, and which, to the wage-earning 
worker, would make all the difference between profit and loss in graining 
cheaply-made furniture. 

Ill graining bedroom fiirnitm e — the bulk of cheap suites of which are so 
finished — we may here consider in the first place what is the most suitable 
color and aspect to give them. The most favored appearance for all things 
connected with the sleeping apartment is at the present time that of light- 
ness and " sweet cleanliness," if I may so term it. This is as it should be, 
for however much there may be to admire in the "good old times," the dis- 
appearance of its massive and cumbersome bedsteads and chests of drawers, 
with the arrangements of dust-harboring hangings and valances of fifty 
years ago, can scarcely be grieved over — that is, from the sanitary and pro- 
gressive point of view. How far this is a change for the better or for worse, 
in that a suite of bedroom furniture can now be purchased for about the 
price of a single article of the past generation, is a question of political econ- 
omy that does not here concern us. We will take these things as we find 
them, and assuming that you, my individual reader, have purchased such a 
bedroom set " in the white" — viz., the common plain deal or pine — I will 



^2 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

endeavor to help 3^ou in making them appear a credit to your little home- 
stead and the admiration of your better half. 

Under this categorj'- of lightness and cheerfulness, we have, therefore, 
the imitations of light maiden oak, maple, satinwood, pitch pine, birch, etc. 
The first-mentioned light oak is, without doubt, the most popular of the 
list, and as imitations of oak have been thoroughly explored herein, we will 
apply ourselves to the ' ' getting up " of the furniture. 

The preparation of furnihire for grairiing upon may be considered from 
the various aspects of cost, durability and excellence of finish. These we 
will return to farther on. Our present purpose shall be to make a good, 
permanent job without stinting our time or the cost of a little material. 
Ready-made furniture which is essentially cheap can scarcely be finely fin 
ished in the wood, so we commence by sandpapering the work down, where 
required, with No. i)^; then, after dusting it well over, we coat the knots 
with ' ' patent knotting ' ' and stand aside to dry whilst we prepare our first 
or priming coat. This is best made with white lead — say 4 lbs. ; patent 
driers, ^Ib. ; red lead, % lb. Beat up in linseed oil and turpentine, in parts 
three to one respectiveh^ until our paint is of thin working consistencJ^ 
This makes a hard-drying paint of an oily nature to stop the suction of the 
new wood. Our second coat is made with white lead and driers of similar 
proportions and a litt'.e more turps. This is, however, first tinted a decided 
light buff with ochre in oil, and strained before being used ; and our furni- 
ture must also be again papered down and all holes puttied up before the 
second coating is spread. It is advisable to make our second coating a little 
darker than the desired tint of ground for graining upon. After standing a 
day and without further sannpapering, we may spread the third and ground- 
ing coat. This should be made as before, but with equal parts of oil and 
turps to give a hard and fairly glossy surface for the combing and figuring. 
The furniture is now ready for oil-graining, over-graining and varnishing. 
The color being made with raw umber in oil, according to earlier lessons, 
each article of furniture is barely rubbed in and then combed. In working 
the usual "turned " table legs, it is best to stipple them with a dry duster 
or tool, and comb only the plainest portions of such surfaces. Care must 
be taken to maintain the proper direction of the grain, and, as when working 
a door, the panels and drawer-fronts only should be figured, and the sur- 
rounding portions finished with varieties of plain combing. When dry, we 
may overgrain the figure and further improve the plain parts with a shading 
of different natural depths and stronger contrasts, according to personal 
fancy. The top of the wash stand is better finished with an easy imitation 
of marble, called usually black and white. Instead of, therefore, painting 
this portion twice with buff, we use white paint ; and after the graining is 
finished we again coat it carefully with quick-drying white paint, and, with 
a black crayon or fine pencil and black, put in the veins and then blend 
them slightly whilst the white is wet. The furniture should finally have 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 4J 

one or two coats of hard-drying or church oak varnish, as ordinary oak or 
copal may not, and does not usually, harden sufficiently for much handling. 
The marbled top should be varnished with two or three coats of ' ' white 
hard" Bath varnish, 2ind the articles will then last, with ordinary care, a 
lifetime. The wash stand, which usually gets the most wear, will need a 
periodical touching up and re-varnishing ; and, especially with regard to the 
top, be it remembered that an occasional coat or two of varnish will save the 
trouble of re-painting many times over. 

^^xt graining of furniture in maple, satinivood, pitch pine, etc., will ap- 
pear to most advantage when used on better made woodwork than that of 
the ordinary factory articles. They should be prepared and " brought on" 
in white lead paint, if a good job is desired, in the same manner as I have 
described for oak, and the lessons in my succeeding papers upon imitating 
these woods will form a useful sequence to this resume. Most of these 
woods are usually grained in distemper, and to get an effective display, 
larger spaces and portions are necessary ; whereas with oak, no matter how 
small the work, the figure can be pleasingly adapted thereto. Some of the 
prettiest bedroom suites I remember seeing were at a city house, ten or 
more years ago. They were made — or veneered, I suppose — in maple and 
satinwood and were partly polished before being turned over to an artist. 
This art-worker embellished the articles with ornament in semi-natural 
colors of the Adams type of design but with all the charm and elegance of 
L,ouis XIV. decorative work. The predominant tone of the painted orna- 
ment was blue, and this served to heighten, by contrast, the richness of the 
golden-colored woods. This work was finally polished, over painting as well. 

Aniericaji zvalnut and pitch pirie are two varieties of wood that have 
become very popular for bedroom furniture during the last few years. 
Some effective suites of these two woods combined have recently attracted 
some notice. The panels were walnut, with inlay of lighter wood, and the 
framing portions were of the pitch pine. Any reader who has the skill and 
with it a well made suite of such goods, is recommended to try this imita- 
tion. Maple combined with American walnut I have also used to decided 
advantage and satisfaction, but in such a case, with light panels and walnut 
framework. Such ornate treatments of bedroom furniture would, of course, 
be entirely misapplied to the common goods first alluded to ; but in the face 
of a present and growing tendency to make the bedroom a pleasant private 
sanctum as well as the sleeping room, their appearance is one sure to meet 
with much favor. 

The imitation of mahogany, rosewood and other hard and costly woods 
is very seldom required or advisable with bedroom furniture. The compara- 
tive cheapness of real American walnut^has been the main reason for its use 
in sleeping apartments and chiefly accounts for its increasing popularity, 
notwithstanding the current rage for light painted and enameled work. 
What is acceptable in the real polished wood respecting the walnut is 



u 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



scarcely so of its imitations, for one reason especially ; dark-grained woods 
are very prone to show white wherever they get a knock, and the ordinary 
copal varnish never appears to so much advantage upon dark woods as upon 
light ones — loss of gloss and bloom is much more readily apparent upon the 
former surfaces. Where there is much wear and tear, light wood imitations 
are, therefore, undoubtedly the best for bedroom furniture. It is possible, 
nevertheless, to avoid the disadvantage of dark woods showing when knocked 
or rubbed, by graining the imitation directly upon the natural wood's colors. 
This is a treatment capable of giving most excellent and woody effects, com- 
bined with extreme durability, when the time and cost is no great object. 
To this process I will return in a future paper. 

The cheapest modes of preparing ajid graining furniture will prove a 
matter of some further useful instruction herein, and will enable the poorer 
worker to get the best show and wear at the smallest cost and will also ex- 
plain how such articles are grained "wholesale " for the large and cheap 
makers. 

A distemper grounding paint is made with well washed whiting and 
strong patent or best glue size, and this is substituted for the previous coats 
of white lead paint. Common and the cheapest whiting will suffice, but if 
such is at all gritty, we must strain it through a hair sieve. A few pounds 
of whiting are broken up into sufficient only of water to slacken it. The 
staineris now added in the form of cheap powdered pigments — ochre, umber 
and Venetian red — according to desired ground color. These stainers can 
be purchased at about 3 cents per pound ; and, as the whiting is usually re- 
tailed at not more than i cent per pound, the most expensive ingredient is, 
therefore, the glue or patent size. The latter being the most convenient, 
we take about the same quantity as we have whiting, and having melted it 
with a very little water, over a fire, we stir it into the whiting. The worker 
must here remember that the distemper ground will dry much lighter, but 
that the ordinary hard-drying varnish will also restore much yellowness of 
color. 

Usually, without knotting or sandpapering, the goods are simply dusted 
and given a good coating of the hot distemper paint. When thoroughly 
dry, a second coat is spread, and this gives a solid and hard ground for the 
graining color. If the distemper is free from grit and has been well spread, 
it is not necessary or advisable to sandpaper the cheapest goods. For grain- 
ing we take a little fine umber ground in beer — or such pigments as we know 
will best suit our imitation— and dilute it to working consistency with weak 
beer. With a large sash tool we rub over the different portions, and by 
streaking it with a dusting brush and then using gutta percha or india-rub- 
ber combs, we get the varieties of grain. Now with a piece of wash-leather 
instead of rag we quickly wipe out the lights, or figure, before the graining 
color dries, and finish each panel or division right off. The roughest goods 
are then coated with the cheapest resin varnish. In order to obtain a supe- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. ^^ 

rior finish to this quick process, the articles may be given a thin coat of 
japan gold size and turps in equal portions. The overgraining by the usual 
distemper process is then done, and a final good coat of varnish will make 
a fair and durable finish to a cheap imitation. 

When graining dark woods after this method, one coat of the distemper 
ground will suffice to cover up the wood, but it is a good plan to give a sec- 
ond coat of strong, clear size only, which will enable us to work either oil 
graining color or water color upon it with much more facility and effect. 

In graining with oil color upon these distemper grounds, it need 
scarcely be pointed out that there is no necessity to ' ' bind down ' ' before 
over graining, as is required upon water graining. The strong size used 
with the ground or in the after sizing effectually prevents the varnish from 
blackening and discoloring the whiting contained therein. For a good class 
of grained furniture we may get the surface up in strong size and whiting, 
then well sandpaper it down, coat with clear size and give one coat of white 
lead paint. For maple this is by far the best plan, and much of the cheap, 
plain-painted and enameled furniture is also so treated. 

Patent knotting composition or vaniish is sometimes used as a first coat- 
ing, then a coat of size will effectually stop the suction of new wood. The 
"knotting," as it is usually termed, will alone make a good and rich stain 
for deal wood and one which can be either polished or varnished upon almost 
immediately. 

Lest there be any doubt in the mind of the worker as to the durability 
of imitations grained upon size color, I may add that for the usual wear of 
bedroom furniture, such work will last any reasonable length of time. To 
summarize the pros and cons of the two preparatory methods, oil paint vs. 
distemper, we have the greater durability accompanied with extra cost of 
time and material and the objectionable smell of the former, as against the 
cheapness and quickness, with less wear, of the latter, while the absence of 
the smell of paint compensates for the dustier and dirtier manipulation of 
size and whiting colors. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

V GRAINING MAPLE AND PITCH PINE. 

f^N the preceding paper upon graining furniture, the imitation of maple 
and pitch pine woods were particularly suggested as suitable for that 
[(• purpose; and since both of these woods are also very popular for 
^^ graining on woodwork of dwelling-houses, we shall now consider the 
Iv^te best methods of imitating them. 

^^ The botanical aspect of this subject, the genus, tribe and order to 

^' which the various woods imitated belong, is a matter I have intention- 
ally avoided dwelling upon in these papers, not from any disparaging notion of 
the usefulness of this beautiful branch of science, but with a view to keep- 
ing within the simple limits of the practical imitative work, and of best oc- 
cupying my space to the learner's advantage. The maple tree, however, 
is far from being so familiar to most of us as the oak, hence it will be as 
well to indicate a few particulars of this wood. 

The Varieties of Maple number considerably over fifty, and these are 
distributed throughout the temperate regions of both the eastern and west- 
ern hemispheres. The only species which is a native of our own country 
(England) is the common maple ; this grows only as a small tree, and to 
some considerable extent as a hedge shrub. The sycamore maple, or great 
maple, is, however, naturalized in Britain, and grows to much larger and 
more massive dimensions. This latter species, commonly termed the syca- 
more, is extensively used by turners and musical instrument makers, and 
is probably familiar to many readers in the form of a violin back or such 
like. Notwithstanding the foliage and flower of all varieties of maple are 
of a highly ornamental nature, and such as will provide the decorator with 
an admirable motif iox decorative purposes, the sugar maple from the North 
American continent ranks far before those above mentioned for beauty of 
grain and serviceability for our modern civilized requirements. As its 
name implies, this species of maple is useful in a two-fold manner — as a 
source of obtaining sugar, and particularly, under the designation of "bird's- 
eye maple," in providing the cabinet-maker with a fine grained and beau- 
tifully marked wood, equally useful for both solid work or veneering. 

Bird's-eye Maple — for under this name we will consider it — is therefore 
that particular variety which we purpose imitating, and the chief character- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



4-7 



istics of which are a very delicate, irregular mottle upon a cream ground, 
interspersed with clusters of, and "straggling " small knots, and, entwining 
and encircling these latter, a very fine and graceful overgrain. The gen- 
eral color-efifect of maple wood is of a decided cream, which, under the 
French polishing process, usually develops into a rich and golden tone. 
Although the natural color of the mottle is usually similar to that of the 
general fibre or ground color, a slightly cooler tone of mottle is usually 
adopted in graining the imitation, instead of simply a darker glaze of the 
same golden ground. The little knots — or "bird's-eyes," as they are sug- 





Fig. 1. --Bird's-eye Maple : First Stage. Fig, 2.— Bird's eye Maple alter Overgraining, etc 



gestively termed, so much depth and transparency do they each present — 
and the fine overgrain are marked by a slight redness of color, and this is a 
point further to our advantage in graining the imitation. 

Maple is a wood we seldom find used for household furniture in this 
country, although in the United States and those parts of America to which 
this species is indigenous it is much more favored ; doubtless the higher 
cost of the maple over our equally serviceable but less beautiful native 
woods of birch, ash, etc., somewhat accounts for this. Its imitation, how- 
ever, is almost as popular with us as oak, and, indeed, for many years it was 
the most favored imitation for the drawing-room woodwork of middle-class 



^8 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

houses. As it is my intention to consider the purely decorative aspect of 
grained imitations in a subsequent and separate paper, we may at once pro- 
ceed to the imitative process. 

The Tools required for Maple Graining by the distemper process are, 
generally, the same as those we previously used for imitating pollard oak, 
viz., thick hog-hair mottlers, a thin, stiff ditto, a sable-pencil overgrainer, 
the badger, a sable pencil, and, besides these, the maple-eye dotter and 
shader. A clean piece of wash-leather and a piece of soft sponge are further 
indispensable items to this and all other water-grained imitations. When 
graining the woodwork of a room of any importance, several different sizes 
in width of thick mottlers and sable overgrainers are very necessary, the for- 
mer for making mottle of varying size upon the various surfaces and the 
mouldings especially, and the latter to allow us to accommodate our over- 
grain more naturally to the different surfaces of the panels and stiles. A 
thick mottler of some three inches wide is the most useful, and this, with 
one an inch wide, will usually suffice ; the best size for sable overgrainer is 
from one and one-half to two inches wide, and the same width or smaller of 
thin, stiff mottlers is recommended. 

The importance of cleanliness in working, and of purity of color and ma- 
terials for every description of graining cannot be over-rated, and with imi- 
tations of so light and delicate a wood as maple or satinwood these condi- 
tions apply particularly. Brushes, vessels, pigments and work should be 
free from any suspicion of grit, grease, or dust ; otherwise, however excel- 
lent the imitation may be, no good finish and effect is possible. 

The Ground and Graining Colors for Maple require care and judgment 
in preparing. The ground should be quite opaque and of a clean, creamy 
white. The genuine white lead slightly stained with the best Oxford or 
Italian ochre (in oil), makes an excellent ground. Some experienced grain- 
ers prefer to give the ground a very faint pink tint with vermilion, and 
others prefer a ground slightly stained with the two pigments combined. 
These are points of personal election, for so long as the paint is kept from 
the two extremes of chalky-white on the one hand and decided red or yellow 
tints of ground on the other, the finished color is not ver}- materially affected. 
The spreading of the ground requires, however, the finest brush-work ; for 
should the work be left for the grainer with coarse, streaky brush markings, 
the graining color and varnish will bring them out very unnaturally and 
unpleasantly. The colors or pigments used for the graining vary consider- 
ably more with grainers than does the tint of grounds. Vandyke brown is 
the most convenient and gives good results alone ; combined with a little 
burnt sienna, warmer tones are obtained, whilst we may occasionally see 
good executant skill displayed with very cool, black shades of mottling. 
In reviewing the general effect of these varying tones, the black-looking 
appears the least ' ' happy ' ' and natural, whilst decidedly warm mottling on 
the other hand detracts from the color of the overgraiu. The Vandyke is 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



49 



a good medium pigment, but personally I prefer a mixture of the finest 
burnt umber ground in water, combined with a little raw Terra- di- sienna. 
This mixture, as also the finest raw umber, gives, to the writer's mind, the 
nearest natural color of the mottle as well as the most pleasing general 
color. In graining all woods we usually aim at the color of the real wood 
when French-polished, and observation will show that, as before mentioned, 
a decided golden tint characterizes polished bird's-eye maple. For home or 
ordinary work, however, a Vandyke brown wash is admirable ; and this 
having been prepared to the desired depth with weak beer, we rub it over 




Pitch-pme First Stage. 




Fig. 4.— Pitcli-piiie after Overgraiiung, eta 



the practice-board with the large mottler and then proceed to imitate the 
wood in the following manner: 

In Graining Bird's-eye Maple, the proper manipulation of and mastery 
over the mottler is a matter that will exercise the learner's patience for 
some little time, and he must not be discouraged at the probably unnatural 
results of first attempts. The action of this brush is to take out parts of 
the graining color and leave the remaining portion in the irregular but not 
erratic-looking form of soft shadows or mottle. Let us now assume that 
the panel has been evenly spread with the graining color, using the mottler 
or a large tool, and that here and there a few slightly darker touches of the 
same color have been put in towards the center of the panel with the sponge. 



50 THE ART O F GRAINING. 

The badger is now taken up and the work " softened." By this softening 
the dark spots are blended into the general tone, and the color is sometimes 
brushed from the center towards the outer edges of the panel, thus getting 
away from the monotony of a perfectly " flat " looking mottle. On taking 
the large mottler in the right hand, it will be found that the fingers can 
grasp the hair — "dig into it," I might term it— at the base, and so break 
up the straight line of the bristle ends. When the mottler is held at 
nearly right angles to the panel, this action will cause the top of it to wipe 
out an irregular, undulating portion instead of a straight, square shape. 
We therefore work a large panel by wiping successive pieces out of the 
softened color with the top of the brush, leaving larger mottle at the sides, 
and working to smaller portions near the center and heart of the plank. 
To get a natural mottle of maple, a double action of the brush is often used, 
the second one cutting across the first at a very obtuse angle ; hence it is 
best to first mottle from top to bottom of a panel across its entire width— in 
a slanting direction, and with due regard to the size of mottle, and then, 
after softening with the badger, to repeat the effect, but slanting the brush 
diagonally, as before mentioned, across the previous mottle. 

Whenever mottling is done, we require a vessel of clean water at hand 
in which to rinse and dip the brush; the superfluous water, which would 
otherwise run down and spoil the ' ' softened ' ' color, is then pressed out 
against the leather, and in maple graining this is of much importance. 

Mottling a panel takes longer and, indeed, is much more difficult to 
describe than to execute; for quickness must be worked for and acquired, 
not only to spread, soften and properly mottle a panel before it dries, but to 
further add the following work, viz., the knots or bird's-eyes, and the bright 
lights thereto. Although interspersed somewhat irregularly all over a 
panel, the knots mostly occur near the top edge of the portions of mottle. 
A single knot will show us upon examination to be a nearly circular dark 
marking with a bright spot in the center, and they occur in clusters and 
patches all over the panel, with "ones and twos" scattered between. To 
make the eyes there are several methods, the most convenient being the 
"dotter" before mentioned — a small camel-hair tool made hollow in the 
center, and which, when pressed against the color and then onto the panel, 
prints the dark shape, or knot. This tool is a rather modern notion, for in 
the old days the worker w^ould either twist a little piece of cloth or leather 
into the desired shape and fix it to a wooden holder, use a sable pencil, or, 
for the commonest work, just dab the tips of his fingers on the panel, this 
latter getting results quite outrageous to look upon. The "eyes" should 
be put in with the "warm " color made with a little burnt sienna dissolved 
in beer and slightly softened in color with Vandyke or black. Although 
by these methods we form the dark parts of the knot, we do not get the 
bright center thereby, and when proper imitation is intended, this light spot 
must be taken out with the leather covered over a pointed stick or the 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 57 

pencil handle. The small reflective lights must also be wiped out, and 
these will be found to spring from the eyes outwards across the mottle, 
coming to a point against the knots and softening off like the overgrain of 
sap, only of a smaller size. All the imitative portion so far described should 
be done without stoppage and before the color dries, when it is possible. 
For the best work and in hot weather, we are often unable to get beyond 
the spreading, mottling and softening ere the water evaporates. In such a 
case we leave the panel to get quite dry, proceeding with other portions, 
and then wash out the large mottler in clean water, and wet the panel by 
drawing the brush carefully down it. The use of beer is not necessary for 
binding, except with black, but it makes the color safe for this wetting, and 
also keeps the work from drying so rapidly, therefore I advise using it. 
When the panel has been wetted over, the knots and reflective lights may 
be put in, and the work left as in Fig. i. The final overgrain should also 
be put upon the panel in its wet condition, and this delicate work is softened 
outwards as it is executed. It is put in with the burnt sienna color and the 
sable pencil, working from and around the knots in irregular, concentric 
lines from the heart and in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. When the 
central heart-grain has been penciled from top to bottom of the panel, the 
sable overgrainer completes the work on the sides, following the formation 
of the pencil-work, and gradually working into regular straight markings. 
A few delicate touches of red shading under the little knots are then put in 
with the shader or pencil and softened downwards, both these and the over- 
grain being kept unobtrusive in tone and depth of color. The work is then 
ready for varnishing, and for which the lightest copal varnish is necessary, 
otherwise the "ageing" of the latter will soon destroy the delicacy of the 
imitation. 

Graining Maple in Oil'is a process that has little to commend it, unless 
the imitation has to be worked on surfaces exposed to all weathers. The 
ground is prepared with the best brush-work, and the graining color, made 
from the finest pigments ground in oil, requires the same working qualities 
as properly mixed graining color. The usual methods of mottling in oil are 
either by working a damp wash-leather over the panel (as described in my 
previous paper for pollard oak), or by drawing down the face of the panel 
the hard edge of a strip of buff-leather, w^hich takes out the color in irregu- 
lar patches, but hardly with a natural-looking result. Any worker who 
has followed me so far with success and is able to execute maple in water, 
will scarcely need more than these few lines to put him in the right track ; 
continuous practice and imitation of the genuine wood will then complete 
his training. 

Graining Pitch Pine is a subject that will well repay study and practice. 
There are two good ways of imitating it, the first, according to my illustra- 
tions. Figs. 3 and 4, being executed in water color, and the other method 
that of graining the heart in oil, just as the sap of oak is wiped out with 



52 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



thumb-piece and rag, and then using open, leather or cork combs for the 
plain outer grain. Although any good light oak ground will serve for 
pitch pine, I prefer the finished effect which is obtained by working over a 
light buff color, which shows a decided but soft reddish tint instead of a 
yellow buff. For graining in water, take a little raw sienna ground in water, 
and slightly "warm" it with burnt sienna, diluting with weak beer as in 
maple-graining color. Spread this wash evenly with a tool over the panel, 
and then with a goose sable pencil run in the heart-grain using a slightly 
deeper shade of the sienna color. After putting in the center grain, take 
the pencil overgrainer, sable or fine hog-hair, and draw it down the sides to 
get the straight outer grain. A touch of Vandyke brown may be used to 
slightly darken the knot or heart, but the grain otherwise should be the 
same tone as the ground paint. Before the work is dry, the heart-grain is 
softened and graduated with the badger as when overgraining oak (Fig. 3). 
To get the best results the work must be ' ' bound down ' ' with 
varnish, and then rubbed over with the same graining color, and 
mottled after the style of working maple (Fig. 4), This method gives the 
worker good scope for his skill, and when varnished may often be mistaken 
for the real thing, even by experienced painters. 

Pitch Pine Grained in Oil has one advantage over the above — it requires 
no binding down before the overgrain or mottle is put on. To wipe quanti- 
ties of sap-oak in oil, naturally and without repetition, is a hard task to 
many a worker who, however, will find the pencil work much easier, 
cleaner and quicker. The mixing of a sienna oil-graining color, the method 
of spreading it and the manner of wiping such figure, are matters that have 
all been thoroughly explored in their connection with oak graining ; the 
only material difference between wiping sap-oak and pine-heart is that a 
good, " springy " badger or a hog-hair softener has to be used to work up 
the wiped figure in the center and to soften the hard edges of the combed 
grain at the sides. 

In closing my directions for imitating maple and pitch pine woods, I 
need scarcely point out the necessity of working from a good natural speci- 
men or, the next best thing for the time being, a properly grained imitation 
of the wood we are studying. When beyond this stage, and the learner 
applies his skill to graining furniture and the woodwork of buildings, the 
previous directions I have given — as to contrast and sharpness of rail with 
stile, the simplicity of figure and grain upon moulded surfaces, and the due 
subservience of the work on the framing or stile parts to that contained in 
the panels — must all be remembered and intelligently followed, to the end 
that the grained door presents that repose in its entirety which we find in 
the best woodwoik. 




CHAPTER IX. 

GRAINING MAHOGANY AND SATINWOOD. 

O PARTICULAR VARIETY of hardwood has been used 
more extensively by the cabinetmaker than has mahog- 
any; and no higher value has been placed upon either 
native or foreign grown tree than is recorded of the 
finest Spanish mahogany. Such being the case, it is, I 
believe, a somewhat rare matter to come across instances 
of its general use for the best woodwork of buildings until 
within more recent years. The erection of vast palatial buildings — the 
hotels, club houses, museums, and other national piles, which mark the 
Victorian era — has however, created a demand for materials — marbles and 
woods — for use in their interiors which our forefathers never dreamed of so 
using in this country ; and whilst, apparently, mahogany has thus "come 
into fashion," for doors and such-like solid woodwork, it has " gone out " 
somewhat for its original purposes of cabinet work. 

This modern introduction of mahogany in the buildings indicated has 
naturally not been without some influence upon the architects and owners 
of less imposing edifices, so that what in earlier days would have been an 
oak door or paneled dado is now often substituted by mahogany — or that in 
combination with another wood. Such, in any case, has been the result of 
the writer's observation and experience gathered in various directions. 

Oil Grounds for Mahogany Grinding are best made with a basis of 
white lead, and in the same manner as oak grounds are prepared, then 
stained to the desired depth and strength of color with pigments ground in 
oil. Venetian red of a good quality is the most useful color for this purpose 
and as it gives with white lead clean and bright tints, the addition only of 
a yellow pigment is required to make a good mahogany ground. The 
amount of yellow the grounding paint should give to the eye is a question 
that most grainers have each their individual notions upon. In cases where 
the im tation is desired to match with a piece of the real wood, an exper- 
ienced worker can soon settle the point by judging the light portions of the 
mahogany against his paint, and making the latter slightly lighter than the 
real wood appears. Orange red with white lead is the favorite tint of some, 



5/ THE ART OF GRAINING. 

but upon such a bright ground there must be the best of skill and judgment 
to get a good imitation. The two reds and white lead, or Venetian red, 
orange chrome, and white, give a good ground for light mahogany ; but for 
all-round and general purposes I rather advise the white lead being stained 
by the best Venetian and bright yellow ochres, which give a medium orange 
tint, clean in color, but not vivid in brightness. Experience in this matter 
will come soon enough to the learner ; meanwhile the above will guide him. 

The many varieties of figure and mottle which are to be found in 
mahogany wood are altogether beyond the scope of these papers to consider. 
1 will therefore confine this description to the two principal kinds, usually 
known as "feathered," or Spanish, mahogany and bay wood, the Honduras 
variety of the wood. 

Baywood is usually considered an inferior article to the feathered 
mahogany ; but for general imitative purposes its appearance is much to be 
preferred to the latter. When elaborate and brilliant mottling and feather 
are put into door panels, they seem to overpower the plain stiles, and there 
does not seem to be the repose in its entirety which we obtain by nicely 
worked baywood graining upon a door ; whilst, furthermore, it takes a 
skilled worker to get a good imitation of the former. 

Imitatio7is of Baywood — like all descriptions of mahogany — are best 
grained in water colors and upon a hard and fairly glossy grounding paint. 
The ground should not be spread until a day or two before the graining. 
When it has been painted a week or two, it not only gets dirty, and often 
knocked and dented, but the water colors spread with much difficulty ; and, 
in fact, it is necessary to dampen down the work with a little whiting water 
and a soft rag or sponge. Freshly grounded work can be grained upon 
without this process, a little extra rubbing with the tool or mottle only 
being necessary to spread the water color. The ground for baywood is 
rather lighter than for Spanish mahogany ; a little more white lead propor- 
tionately I nd the stainers before mentioned will therefore produce it. The 
chief, or general, features of baywood are a fine grain running lengthways of 
the wood, crossed by mottle of varying depths and sizes, and through the 
whole of which a species of fine overgrain runs lengthways of the wood, 
similar to the outer overgrain of maple imitation. To produce this effect 
upon our painted ground, we take a little of burnt sienna and Vandyke 
brown ground in water, aud mix them to the desired depth in a vessel with 
a little beer and water, and keep also a little of each pigment handy where- 
with to darken the same if desired. The tools required for mahogany are 
the usual "badger" softener, the large mottler, a piece of sponge, tool 
brush, the sable and thin hog hair overgrainers, and one or two camel hair 
mottlers. We commence by rubbing in the panel with either tool or mottler, 
using the mixed wash, and then wipe out some parts of it light by either 
drawing down the mottler sideways or using the piece of sponge. The 
mottler is then rinsed and wiped, and drawn down the panel, using the top 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 55 

only and with a light hand ; this will soften the light into the darker por- 
tions, and will also give a slight appearance of the general grain. With the 
large mottler, and using the point only, we now draw it down the panel, 
leaving here and there lighter spaces and masses of mottle, chiefly upon the 
light portions of the work. Then taking up the camel hair mottler, we 
quickly mottle across both the dark work and the mottle just formed, mak- 
ing bright and sharp lights. This having been done before the panel can 
dry, we lightly badger the mottle crossways of the panel, and leave it to 
dry. The final overgrain is then put on by using the thin hog hair " oak " 
overgrainer dipped into a deeper wash of color, and the hairs then divided 
with the grainer's comb made for such purposes. When executing a nice 
imitation of this variety having much mottle as above described, the over- 
grain may advantageously be worked for a slight distance with the pencil, 
thus getting an irregular heart grain, which the overgrainer is worked up 
to. As in maple, this last portion is ' ' softened " as it is worked. The 
plainest variety of baywood may also be imitated by making the shades in 
the color, as we spread it, more distinct, and sometimes giving the work a 
decided curl ; we then mottle with the camel hair tool to a less extent than 
above, soften it, and get the undergrain effect by sharply stippling over the 
plainest parts of the work and lightly softening this, lengthways ; and, 
finally, we overgrain as above with the hog hair tool. 

Feathered, or Spanish, Mahogariy has usually a deeper color of ground, 
and the graining mixture is also used much stronger, so that the mottle is 
sharper and more brilliant. In the best polished specimens of Spanish we 
see also a decided purple or " lakey " tone of color, and this we obtain in 
our imitation by substituting a little victoria, or mahogany, lake for the 
burnt sienna. The lake pigment is purchased ready ground in water, and 
is inexpensive enough to warrant its use by the gralner. Vandyke brown 
alone, or mixed with the lake and a little beer, may be used for first rub- 
bing, in the panel, but the lake is most necessary and effective for the final 
glazing of the feathered mahogany. The best samples of this beautiful 
wood present to us, in the case of a panel, a rich and dark center portion, 
with the extreme limits of such at its lower end ; out of this there springs a 
bright feather " stem " — if it may be so termed, from which, on either side, 
bright silky mottle is thrown, and falls like the shape of a feather in grace- 
ful and regular lines. The center stem itself has usually a slight curve, and 
the top dies away into mottle like the off-shoots on either side. Nothing 
but a real specimen can give the learner a true notion of the nature of this 
wood, and the imitation can only be successfully learned from such. 

The working method in general use is to quickly rub in the panel with 
the mixed graining color, and then with a large flat fitch to put in the dark 
tones of the center in consecutive portions. Commencing at the base, we 
make a dark curve with the brush, then leaving an intermediate space of 
the general color, we put in a second curve rising above the first, and gradu- 



56 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



ally decreasing them in size and strength of color towards the top of the 
panel or surface. Without loss of time, we take up the thin hog hair mot- 
tier, or "cutter," and with its top, used edgeways, cut out the bright rising 
lights which form the stem, end which then spray out on either side, as I 
have described. We next take the camel hair mottler, or, preferably, a 
"burnt-edge" mottler — especially if the former is quite a new one — and 
with this we put in the sharp, brilliant, and silky lights which flow out of 
the center, giving them the naturally curving inclination, and avoiding any 
straight and harsh cuts or lights ; this the camel hair brush, with its pliable 
hair, enables us to do, and also lifts the color off sharper and cleaner than 
does a long hair brush. As I have instructed in previous papers, the mot- 
tling tools require repeated rinsing in clean water, and then wiping on the 
leather, to free them from the color taken up, enabling us to mottle sharp 
and clean. As in graining bird's-eye maple, the mahogany may now be 
wetted over, by drawing the mottler and clean water down the panel, and 
the contrast heightened by sharpening up lights and adding dark touches of 
color with wash leather and pencil respectively. The overgrain is now put 
in, using the thin hog hair brush, and working the grain after the formation 
of the darker curves of color — hence crossing the center of the feather. 
Starting upon the one side, the brush is drawn gently up, twisted carefully 
across the feather with a wavy and spreading motion, and then returned 
down the opposite half in similar manner. As each journey is made we 
' ' badger ' ' the grain slightly upwards from the base before it sets, and then 
leave the work to dry. The next process is to bind the graining down with, 
preferably, a coat of varnish, or else japanner's gold size and turps. Upon 
this we work the final stage — a rich overglaze., as it is termed. Taking a 
wash of mahogany lake and beer, we rub it all over the work, and with the 
damp wash leather we make a pad, and partly roll it over the work. This 
method leaves an irregular mottled effect, not decided enough to clash with 
any of our figure, but sufficient to give a relief to the plain portions and a 
rich general tone to the whole imitation. Should the previous work have 
plenty of variety and figure, it may be best to merely rub over the afterglaze 
and so soften it without mottling ; this question, and also the further ad- 
vantage of strengthening any other previous work, are matters for individ- 
ual decision. 

Graining Satinwood is a process so similar in method and figure char- 
acteristics to mahogany, that the learner can execute the one with equal 
facility to the latter. Although both belong to the same natural order 
{Cedrelacoed), the satinwood is really one of the cedar tribe, but differs 
chiefly from mahogany in its color, which is a rich golden yellow. The 
ground and general tone of satinwood are nearest to maple, but the former 
is rather fuller in color. The oil paint for this imitation must therefore be 
stained to a delicate cream with yellow ochre, and our surfaces must be 
very finely prepared and painted. The graining color with which we work 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 57 

the curls and mottle as in bay wood should be raw terra di sienna, finely- 
ground in water, A little finest burnt umber or Vandyke brown may be 
added to the sienna when we wish to soften down the color, and a judicious 
combination of the yellow and brown pigments gives the most natural effect. 
In graining a door, the curl or feather is usually put in the panels rather 
softer in contravSt than with feathered mahogany, and the surrounding 
mouldings and stiles are best mottled with some slight coolness of color and 
in a simple manner. The final overgraining, with the sable pencil or hog 
hair overgrainers, is executed in precisely the same manner as in working 
mahogany; the color used may be either a darker tone of the graining wash, 
or with a slight tinge of redness added to it. If satinwood be worked 
cleanly and quietly, care being taken to obtain soft final colors, it is an imi- 
tation that can be most advantageously introduced into the best decorative 
effects, and will harmonize with many color schemes adapted to the drawing 
room. As with maple graining, the varnish for satinwood must be the 
lightest copal that can be obtained. 




CHAPTER X. 

GRAINING ITALIAN WALNUT WOOD. 

OUBTLESS most of us are familiar with the nature and 
l)eautiful markings of the wood of the walnut tree ; 
and although he would be a vara avis indeed who 
did not know its fruit or kernel, there are UU' 
doubtedly many persons who could not distinguish 
the growing walnut tree half so readily as the inval- 
uable oak or the less useful chestnut. Judging from 
the name by which it is popularly called in this country, one would suppose 
that the mit was, if not the only one, albeit the principal feature of the 
tree's commercial value. That is not the case in this age, we know full 
well, since the enormous quantity of walnut wood that is used annually in 
the manufacture of pianos alone must be an item of great value. 

To all intents and purposes we may consider the walnut tree a native of 
England; for although we cannot be certain, as is highly probable, that it 
came here "with the Roman invasion," the knowledge that it has grown in 
England for over three hundred years is surely sufficient for its classifica- 
tion as such. Although its original native land is generally believed to 
have been Persia and the regions of the Himalayas, the walnnt tree is now 
largely cultivated throughout south and temperate Europe, from whence, as 
well as from still more eastern parts of the globe, enormous quantities of 
walnuts are exported. More southern and sunshiny latitudes than those of 
Great Britain are necessary, however, for the tree to attain full growth and 
a ripe age; hence it seems to come naturally about that the wood of the 
Italian walnut — from the country where the beauties of nature and art 
alike seem always pre-eminent — should be the most richly marked and 
highly prized. 

Italian Walnut Wood is chiefly noticeable from its masses of beautifully 
knotted and curled grain, rather darker in general tone than the ordinary 
piano variety, but equally rich and clear when properly prepared and 
polished. In compiling this lesson upon graining such a very useful and 
ornamental wood, the heading of my paper was used, not with a view of 
devoting the space entirely to imitating none but the very richest variety, 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



59 



but chiefly to distinguish in a literal sense as well as in the learner's mind 
the ordinary curly, knotted and mottled walnut of commerce from its less 
pretentious but equally serviceable relation, the black walnut, or, as it is 
generally termed, American Walnut. 

Grounds for Walnut Graining, although varying slightly in depth 
according to the intended finish, should always be of one class of coloring: 
viz., a soft drabby brown. Words are a poor means of interpreting color, 
but if the prepared white lead paint is stained with yellow ochre and Vene- 
tian red, used in equal proportions, until we get the desired strength, and 




Fig. L— Graining Italian Walnut : first 
stafre. 



fig. 2. — Graining Italian Walnut 
Mottle and Undergrain. 



the resultant mixture afterwards sobered down with burnt umber until it 
becomes a leather color, then the worker will obtain the tone alluded to. 
If we wish for a lighter class of walnut graining, one in which the grain 
and figure will be more distinct, the same tone should be used, only, of 
course, the white lead being in greater proportion. Very often one finds 
walnut being grained upon paint in which scarcely a trace of umber can be 
seen; the consequence is that either the graining color is used weak and 
thin, so that the graining, viewed on its completion, looks "foxy" — i.e., 
gairish, in color and feeble in form; or else it is the other extreme, in 
which the figure can be traced from the opposite side of the road. The best 



6o THE ART OF GRAINING. 



demonstration any student can have is to grain a panel upon both the 
bright and the drabby grounds, varnish them, and not only compare them 
with a piece of the real polished wood for natural color, but further, care- 
fully weigh the relative merits of each for repose and richtiess. 

Graining W'alnnt J Food is, to any worker who has mastered the use of 
his water-graining brushes, is a most pleasant and entertaining work. The 
usual method is the distemper, or water-color process, and the tools required 
are similar to those previously advised for pollard oak. These will be 
found illustrated in the preceding papers, and need not be here recapitu- 
lated. The pigments required, to more or less extent, for walnut imitation 
are the invaluable Vandyke brown, burnt terra di sienna, lamp or ivory 
black— preferably the latter — and a little of Prussian or indigo blue. These 
pigments are already familiar to those readers who have followed this series 
through the preceding papers. They are material colors of strong natural 
staining powers, and an ounce of each will suffice for a large surface of grain- 
ing. For home practice and all ordinary purposes, the blue pigments can 
readily be dispensed with; they are rather costly, and may be difficult to 
obtain ready ground in water. The only one of the list that can be rubbed 
up upon the palette is black; all the others are useless, so far as good work 
is concerned, unless very finely ground and of the best quality. Walnut 
being an imitation into which black, a bad binder, enters largely, it is advis- 
able to use beer and water in about equal parts for our fluid. Before com- 
mencing the work, the grounding paint should be lightly glass-papered with 
No. cor I, and well dusted down. If the paint is very hard, and has 
been standing any length of time, we must also prevent our water-color from 
cessing — running off — by rubbing the ground with a little dry whiting on a 
rag, or by giving it a preliminary rub over with a sponge of beer-wash. 
Having now at hand a little fluid stained with Vandyke and sienna — the 
darker our imitation is the more Vandyke in proportion — we take a large 
worn-in tool or the large mottler, and rub over our surface, not too spar- 
ingly, but avoiding sufficient to cause it to run. Before, however, we take 
further action, there must be a mental decision as to the disposition of the 
figure. For instance, given a panel say 24 in. by 15 in., we might occupy 
the greater portion of it with one large cluster of knots and encircling grain, 
and surrounded by plainly grained parts, as is characteristic of the best 
Italian. Again, we may get another good effect by working in two or three 
separated and smaller clusters of knots in one flow of grain — an appearance 
which is more common. Mottling this stained wash is the first action; and 
if we work on the former plan we shall mottle our surface small and deli- 
cately across the panel, hut/u//y under the greater part of knot-mass and 
more sparingly and broader under the surrounding plain grain. We also, 
whilst mottling straight across the panel, follow the general curve of the 
outer grain (Fig. i). 

In imitating the second variety, we may mottle on more regular lines 
straight over the width of the surface, accommodating it slightly to the in- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



6i 



tended plain and knotted parts, but following no decided curve (Fig. 3). 
Whilst still wet, we soften with the badger and let it dry. The next step is 
to imitate the delicate pores or under grain, and this is obtained by using 
the thin ' 'oak' ' overgrainer. By separating the hog-hair of the brush after 
it is charged with color we get distinct divisions, and in this manner we go 
over the panel, always working in wavy, tremulous lines and curves across 
the previous mottling. In the same manner as advised for pollard oak we 
must carefully soften this work outwards or upwards whilst wet, and thus 
obtain a light inner, and dark outer, edge or grain. This must be kept 





Fig. 3. — Graining Italian Walnut: 
final stage. 



Fig. 4. — Gi'aining Italian Walnut, Fig. 2 
with Top Grain but unglazecl. 



quiet and subservient to the after process; and if we desire it, upon the ulti- 
mate plainer parts we may subdue the under grain and stipple it instead, as 
with mahogany. 

The next process is to imitate the curly and prominent grain ot the 
wood, and which, upon inspection of a real sample, will show a considerable 
variety of color tone as well as depth. Some leading veins will appear 
quite black, others a rich warm brown; whilst the bulk of them give vari- 
ous shades of deep brown of the Vandyke tone. Now, in order that these 
veins may sink into and become, apparently, part of the wood, we adopt a 
double method of softening them. Taking the large mottler we well rinse 



62 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

the color out of it, and then draw it quickly and lightly down the panel 
until the latter is nicely wetted all over. The thin hog-hair oak over- 
grainer is then dipped into a stronger beer-wash, and worked into our 
black and Vandyke pigments — which latter should be rubbed up separately, 
and ready to hand in a liquid form. The make of the overgrainer, which 
naturally separates itself into tufts of ever- varying size, enables us, there- 
fore, to work in the prominent grain with despatch and variety of result; 
and the effect therewith obtained is infinitely superior to anything we might 
attempt with the pencil, and by making one vein at a time. As this part 
is the most important in the imitation, the mind must work as rapidly as 
the hand. The main lines of the panel we have already shaped out by the 
mottling, etc.; but whilst we duly follow that lead and work the veins 
across the mottle, we have the natural play of grain, the sharp and subtle 
curves, the widening out and closing up of the veins, caused by pressure 
upon the tufts, and the variety of color — all these points to see to in the 
manipulation. For the richest Italian walnut (Fig. 4), although by expert 
twisting of the brush we may make the most natural-looking masses of 
knots and curly grain, we may with more advantage leave the inner parts 
for filling in with a pencil and black pigment. The advantage of working 
the main grain upon the wetted surface is that the veins partly soften them- 
selves, and we also get more time for the process. This softening with the 
badger must be effected as we go along, and by gently brushing across the 
grain we get a natural light and dark edge. When the veins lie very close 
together we are liable to blur one into the other; this is an effect we must 
avoid, even at the cost of a few hard veins. From this fact it will be 
gathered that the grain must not be worked too close nor too regularly. If, 
after making the best use of the overgrainer, we desire to further "work 
up' ' the panel, we proceed to wet it all over as before, then put in the inner 
knots, touches of black or strong veining, with the sable pencil, and finally 
soften as before. Should we attempt to do this without the wetting, there 
is a danger of spoiling the panel; inasmuch as we cannot judge how the 
colors and grain look when varnished, which the water enables us to see. 

Glazing Walnut Graining is the last process, wherewith we obtain the 
final color, and subdue and heighten different portions of our work. It is 
in this glazing treatment that the advantage of sober grounding color is 
most apparent, as we are enabled to use rich and warm pigments without 
any unnatural crudeness. Before this glaze, or transparent wash, can be 
applied, we must secure the previous work with either thinned coach japan 
or, far more preferably, with the same copal varnish as we finish with. 
When the binder is dry we spread the wash, making some parts quite warm 
with the sienna, and other parts, especially the knotted work, stronger and 
deeper in color with Vandyke and black. If extreme richness is wanted, 
the introduction of a little of the transparent cool blue, judiciously placed, 
will, by force of color contrast, help to this end. The tone and depth of 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 63 

the glaze being right, and the same spread evenly, we take the damp wash- 
leather, and roll it over those parts where a soft mottling effect is wanted 
and then, with the thumb and leather, wipe out the brighter lights across 
the knotted work, and carefully soften the whole. As our coat of varnish 
has "brought out" (Fig. 2) all the work previously put in, we are able to 
judge if it still requires any finishing touches, and if so, these cati be done 
whilst the glazing is wet. One good finishing coat of copal varnish can 
now be given, and, if possible, let it have an extra coat a few days after- 
wards. If aiming at a smooth surface, like polish, it is necessary to rub the 
first coat slightly down with thick felt and finely pulverized pumice-stone, 
used with water, and finally, well rinsed down. A serviceable, but of course 
less effective, cheap plan is to rub with fine emery-cloth, and then wash 
down. In every case have a care that the graining is not rubbed into 
little white specks, arising from want of fineness in the paint, etc., beneath; 
far better to sacrifice the smoothness. 

77^1? arrangement of WalmU Graining upon Woodivork is a matter 
worth a little attention here. In the first place, the worker must remenber 
the cost of time, and therefore aim to get the most effect and natural breadth 
according to these commercial circumstances. Let the panels of doors, and 
where most seen, be the best and richest portions; keep the mouldings dark 
but quiet in grain; if acceptable, black them as ebony imitation; and in 
every case let the surrounding stiles and rails be a foil and relief by their 
plainness to the richness of the panels. Let rail and stile be equally distinct 
in grain as with oak, but rather less in depth., since there is not in nature 
the same play and action of light as with the former. Always reserve the 
pencil for only the best panels, such as will probably have a close inspection; 
but even then do not sacrifice breadth to detail. These directions, if intel- 
ligently followed and persevered with, in conjunction with a good piece of 
mounted veneer, will soon lead to successful imitations of walnut wood. 



CHAPTER XI. 




IMITATION OF WOODS BY PLAIN STAINING AND GRAINING UPON 
UNPAINTED WOOD. 

v\HE PRACTICE of staining light and inexpensive 
woods to the colors of more rich and costly va- 
rieties is a branch of graining — "sham" though 
it still is — that few persons will object to. The 
advantage of being able to get a permanent and 
decorative finish upon new wood without the 
important outlay of preparatory painting is so ap- 
parent to all, that a first place of interest will 
readily be given to a paper dealing with such. 
Under this heading we have two distinct treat- 
ments of imitations — the first wherein the color effect alone is sought after; 
and the other, that in which the figure and particular characteristics of the 
wood are also imitated. Without attempting to follow the theory of the 
matter beyond the simplest lines of consideration, it will be readily granted 
that both of these methods have their proper sphere and limitations. The 
description and quality of the wood stained is a most important factor of its 
successful treatment. For instance, we may stain white wood with the 
colors of light oak or maple, and obtain a rich and satisfying effect. Appl}^ 
however, the same transparent glaze to sappy and knotty deal, or, on the other 
hand, to light pine with a strongly marked grain, and we feel at once color 
and grain do not agree. Red pine of the ordinary class, such as its imitation 
described heretofore in these papers, may be greatly improved by staining to 
the effect of American walnut; but were we to grain upon it afterwards the 
figure of ordinary knotted, or Italian, walnut, then an unnatural attempt at 
combination is at once apparent. The very common and popular red staining 
of the poorest and cheapest articles of furniture — presumabl}- in imitation of 
mahogany — strikes in the mind at once a note of discord. Mahogany is an 
expensive wood, we know, and therefore imitations of its color on wooden 
rubbish are rather objectionable. Then again the color of even the cheapest 
mahogany cannot be obtained by a bare coating of stain, so that it is not 
satisfactory from either point — consistency or appearance. Mahogany", wal- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 65 

nut, maple, and other choice woods — particularly those which are best imitated 
in distemper color — can, however, be beautifully grained upon prepared plain 
wood, with results almost equal to anything we may execute upon painted 
grounds. As in most of these dark varieties it is necessary to first stain the 
wood a general color, we will now briefly notice the pigments and fluids 
most serviceable for plain-staining purposes, considered not from a dyer's or 
French polisher's but from the painter's and grainer's point of view. 

Preparation for Plain Staining is a matter of circumstance, depending 
upon the nature the wood stained and of that to be color imitated. If 
the timber is of the poorest quality, soft and sappy, the better plan 
for cheap work is to ensure more regular color by first giving it a 
coat of clear glue size of fair strength. This is no lost labor since all 
common staining requires to be sized to bear out. It is, however, advisable 
that, for floors and all similar surfaces exposed to hard wear, the stain should 
be applied first; otherwise, instead of sinking into the wood, the color is 
merely lying on the surface, and is more easily worn away. In dealing with 
ordinary«.house woodwork, cheap panellings, etc , the size before oil-stain is 
recommended. When the former is dry, it will be found that the oil-stain, 
or "graining color," can be spread much better and more regularly, and that 
those sappy places which would otherwise have absorbed much stain are 
scarcely noticeable. In sizing white or stained wood, poor work often re- 
sults from the "quirks" and mitres of mouldings being overcharged with the 
"froth" of the warm size. This can be easily avoided by adding a little tur- 
pentine — about one teaspoonful to thepintof size — which will prevent much 
of this "frothing" nuisance. For preparing a higher class of woodwork the 
color of which we chiefly desire to alter, there are several better methods open 
to us. When we have a good specimen of pitch pine which is required to be 
stained down, say to an American walnut shade — and in which it is most 
efi"ective — we may first coat it with either coach japan gold-size diluted with 
one-third of turpentine; or with raw linseed oil, a little "turps," and about 
one-tenth part of good liquid driers, or terebine. The dilute gold-size is the 
most costly and quickest, as it may be stained upon in a few hours; but for 
equal permanence and cheapness the drying-oil is the best. Both are brushed 
on in the same manner as varnish is applied, only rather more sparingly. 
When plain-staining or varnishing very white wood, it is often necessary to 
avoid all possible after-discoloration arising from the oil darkening with age; 
and since it is prepared from the same source, the gold-size, unfortuneatly, 
is liable to the same defect. Here, then, it should be substituted by using 
gilder's "clear" size, or a thin coat of white shellac and then the whitest oil 
varnish for the finish. One drawback common to sizing is the tendency of 
the fluid to raise the surface grain of the wood: this is particularly the case 
when the size is used hot, and therefore such must be avoided. 

Mixing Oil Stains — viz, those prepared with a drying-oil and painter's 
pigments — is a simple matter. We may take three parts oil to one of turpen- 



66 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

tine, add the liquid, or even paste, driers as above-mentioned, and then the 
simple addition of "stainer" completes the mixture. As advised for prepara- 
tory coating, japan gold-size and "turps" may be used for the liquid, or, 
better still, copal varnish may be stained and diluted with "turps." The 
advantage of using the two last mentioned is their quickness of hardening; 
whilst the cheaper oil mixtures are far better for spreading evenly and reg- 
ularly over large surfaces. I have gone somewhat minutely into this pre- 
paratory consideration, knowing from practical experience how often the 
want of a little elementary explanation will mar the whole work on completion. 
I now append a few details of color-stains, which, with the foregoing, should 
suffice the worker for all ordinary purposes: — 

Light Oak Oil stain may be made from raw terra-di-sienna, with the 
addition of a little raw Turkey umber. 

Medium Oak Oil stain from raw sienna and burnt Turkey umber. 

Dai'k Oak Oil staiii is best made from burnt Turkey umber alone; the 
yellow cast of the copal varnish, which it is supposed and intended should be 
used for finishing this class of work, is here sufficient to give the required 
trace of yellowness. 

For Antique Oak-stain, a mixture of ivory black, finely ground, with a 
very little hurt sienna. Vandyke brown alone makes a deep rich stain, its 
color, when ground in oil, being not so red as when used in distemper. This 
pigment, being a notably bad drier, requires fully double the usual quantity 
of terebine added to the oil fluid. 

Walnut Oil-stain for varnishing upon, without any after-glazing and 
figuring, may be colored w'ith burnt Turkey umber and a little ivory black. 
For a "ground-color" stain — viz., whereon we wish to grain walnut figure — 
raw umber is the better pigment, since its subdued tone contrasts more 
naturally with the after figure work. 

Oil-stain /or Pitch Pine. — Raw sienna with the addition of a little burnt 
ditto, make a rich pine color for staining on light wood; a little burnt umber 
can be added if the siennas alone are too red. Red pitch pine is very largely 
used for house woodwork in England, especially in the neighborhood 
of seaport towns, when it is usually imported direct from the Baltic. In most 
instances the pine is cheaply prepared, and varnished with copal. The pres- 
ence of so much resin and matter of a discoloring nature in pitch pine soon 
causes a very appreciable darkening of the original color; hence, when it is 
desirous to keep the wood permanently light, the copal varnish used should 
be of the whitest make, and the size be either strong "parchment," or the 
special light coach japan. All holes, etc., should be carefully stopped with 
common putty of two shades, colored to match both the ground and grain 
of the wood, after the sizing. A day or so to allow it to harden before var- 
nishing is advisable. When the real pine is desired to be stained much 
darker, besides the umbers, Vandyke brown, and black pigments, we may 
use diluted washes of either black japan or Brunswick black. Only those of 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 67 

a thoroughly good quality should be used, and with pure turpentine for 
thinning. When staining pine dark, it is preferable to use the stain before 
sizing; if the grain is desired to be very prominent, a full coat should be 
spread, and then shortly afterwards all the stain lying on the surface may 
be rubbed off with old cloth or rag free from "flufiiness" 

Mahogany Oil- stain can scarcely be obtained of a good color by ordinary 
brush staining. Burnt sienna alone is somwhat gairish; and the only perfect 
substitute for the Victoria lake used in distemper graining is madder lake, 
which is too expensive for ordinary cases. Whenever cheap mahogany stain 
is required, is should be made nearest to ordinary bay wood. For furniture 
and "better-class" work, a good mahogany eflfect may be obtained by oil- 
staining with burnt sienna and Vandyke, and, when dry, overglazing with or- 
dinary Victoria or mahogany lake in water. If the wood is at all sappy and 
strong in markings of nature contrary to mahogany, it must first be sized, 
stopped, and then oil-stained. ^ 

' Cheap Water-stains may easily be made from any of the above pigments. 
Whether used for oil or water mixtures, they should always be purchased 
ready ground and of decorators' quality, those in pound and half-pound col- 
lapsible tubes being by far the best and cheapest for good work. Nearly all 
these colors have a natural binding quality with water alone, but the addi- 
tion of a little beer will easily secure the stains of ivory or vegetable black. 
Water-stains must always be applied directly upon the wood; we therefore are 
at a double disadvantage when using such. The stain itself has no "fillmg" 
power, so that a second coat of either size or varnish is necessary; and water- 
stain does not spread so nicely with the brush as oil. A piece of sponge is 
preferable for using the former, and the best effect is got by wiping all super- 
fluous stain off the surface. » 

Maple and Satin-wood, Imitations, when grained on white wood, are ex- 
ecuted with the same water pigments and process as upon paint. The wood 
for these two varieties must be very free from grain or knot, and must first 
be once sized and varnished with the whitest materials. This gives a non- 
absorbent ground for working the distemper stains upon. When the figure 
is completed, another good coat of varnish gives a capital surface. 

Walnut, mahogany, and similar dark woods must have the grounds sized, 
and then colored with oil-stain to the nearest shade of the usual grounding 
paint. The size and stain together willsuffice for working upon, but two 
coats of varnish are required for dark imitations of this kind. With walnut 
and mahogany the first coating is applied barely before the glazing, and a 
final flowing coat afterwards. 

Notwithstanding the paper is compiled solely with reforence to the 
painter's and grainer's usual work and requirements, the simplicity of most of 
these preparations will commend them to the occasional wants of all readers. 
A saving of labor is nowadays a primary consideration, and in this connec- 
tion oil-stains, requiring only once sizing, are most useful. With the ' 'semi- 



68 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

chemical" stain of dyer and polisher we have no concern here, although in a 
short lesson on inlaying methods some particulars of other permanent colored 
stains will be given. 

Flat Varnishing or Dull Polishifig may be used to much advantage in 
finishing any kind of copal-varnished or oil-stained surface. A simple pre- 
paration of the former can be made from a piece of genuine beeswax (size of 
walnut) dissolved, and thoroughly mixed by heat in pure turpentine (3^ 
pint), and i oz. copal varnish added thereto. The latter method may be done 
by carefully dulling either varnish or polish with finely ground pumice-stone 
and felt (or a piece of soft cloth), used with water; then rubbing with putty- 
powder and Eyucca oil for a final soft gloss. 



CHAPTER XIL 




GRAINING ROSEWOOD, AMERICAN WALNUT, BIRCH, TEAK AND OTHER 
FANCY VARIETIES OF WOOD. 



VARIETIES of native or foreign woods the im- 
iations of which have already been treated in this series 
may justly be considered the staple lines of the gramer's 
craft. Beyond these there are, however, a useful selec- 
tion of woods, without a practical acquaintance of which 
no competent grainer can rest satisfied. Ever-changing 
fashions in furniture and cabinet work have much to do 
with the demand for or the neglect of some of these im- 
itations; I have, therefore, selected those likely to be of 
the most practical service to the worker of "to-day." 
American Walnut is a hard wood so much in vogue at the present time 
and withal of such an admirable nature for painted imitation that I give it 
some prominence in this selection. The ground for this should be of the 
medium oak shade, but never much more ncutr-al than the grounds for 
knotted walnut. Although a little Venetian red or ochre are required for 
the color, the burnt umber pigment must be in excess of both, a ' 'drab' ' 
resulting. 

If executed upon woodwork which is well lighted, the imitation is best 
without much contrast between ground and grain colors; but for ordinary 
staircases and dark positions the ground should be kept lighter, this plan 
being preferable to overloading the graining with strong glazes and black 
veins of pigment. In imitating this wood we may get a very passable 
effect in one distemper process; but for good work, binding down a second 
treatment is necessary. Assuming that an ordinary door is being worked, 
we will take the first method. The tools most useful for this imitation are 
a thin oak overgrainer, a large mottler or worn-in sash tool, a veining fitch, 
and the indispensable "water- tools" — badger, sponge and leather. Good 
burnt Turkey umber, finely ground in water, gives the best color for the 
graining; but as this is rather difficult to get, Vandyke brown may be 
substituted for it. A portion of this pigment being rubbed up with the 
palette knife and also a little ivory or lampblack — the latter worked 



yo THE ART OF GRAINING. 

up with beer — they are placed handy in separate vessels; whilst some dilute 
beer will also be required. With the mottler, or large tool, we first rub in 
the panels of our door, dipping the brush first into the clear liquid, and 
then into the brown pigment. By using the brush slantways down the 
panel, we readily get a variety of shades, and give a lead to the grain. With 
the badger we then work in a finer grain, using it not as a softener, but 
with pressure upon the sides of the hair. After a little practice it will be 
found that every required variety of grain can thus be made, and a natural 
softness is finally given to it by delicately softening this work across the grain 
at a slight inclination. The panels are now allowed to dry, and for many 
purposes this is all that need be done to them. The stiles are next rubbed 
in and treated in the same manner, working up from the bottom, and 
finishing each rail and stile as we proceed. The moulding "quirks" must, 
of course, be done with the stiles, and the success of the latter will naturally 
depend upon the variety of color-depth and garin we get when rubbing in 
and badgering. If broad mottler is used for spreading the color, we may get 
the occasional effect of cross-reflected lights upon the stiles, and these in the 
badgering are broken up to the least possible exent. The mouldings are run 
in at the last, and with either a darker or lighter tone than the rest of the 
door, or, better and quicker still, coated with beer and pure black, in imita- 
tion of ebony. When well varnished this combined effect is very good, and 
particulary agreeable to those who believe in the grainer always "operating 
with reserve." When "cost" is subjective to effect and finish, we varnish 
the first graining, and then with a hog-hair veining fitch proceed to run in 
the dark top veins. If the panel is now rubbed over with a slightly stained 
weak beerwash we can the better work the fitch and soften off" the veins. 
The stiles may here be slightly darkened all over; they will then "cut up" 
and contrast much better with rails in which a little strong grain is put in, 
than were all parts to be equally figured. From the foregoing, it will be 
gathered that the badger is the most important tool used, and that for the 
threefold purpose of making and softening the undergrain, and for stippling 
the plainer portions, no better means could be desired, nor better effects other- 
wise obtained. 

Rosewood, or Palisander — by which latter name it is generally known in 
continental Europe — is a variety of hardwood that is now rather out of fash- 
ion for furniture. There are very few persons, however, who have not seen 
it, if only in the form of a fancy writing-desk, or such article. As rosewood 
has characteristics not common to any other wood here mentioned, and since 
it is a very useful variety for ornamental work and imitation inlays, I append 
brief instructions for graining it. 

Rosewood is found in many varieties in India, South America, and Africa'; 
and that with which we are most familiar is of a dark and rich general tone, 
having a ground of red shades, and being beautifully marked with dark 
brown and black figure and veins. This red ground may be made with 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 71 

Venetian red, a little white lead, and burnt umber. If for a bright and 
strongly marked sample, vermilion may be used with the Venetian, whilst 
yellow ochre will furnish more orange tones, "if desired. The earlier grainers 
were rather partial to the bright reds, but the most natural and ' 'restful' ' imita- 
tions will be obtained with softer and broken tones. In graining, we may 
with advantage use warm tones — Vandyke and burnt sienna — and also the 
cool tones of indigo or blue black; or for a simpler effect, a mixture of sienna 
and black will suffice. In both cases a good black pigment is required for 
the veins, and a little victoria or mahogany lake for the after-glazing. 

The tools are those we use for mahogany and walnut, the appearance of 
rosewood partaking of the silky mottle and rich color of the former with some 
of the strong figure and veins of the latter. A thin "warm" wash of dilute 
beer being spread with the tool or mottler, and with varied and richer tones 
of color, the panel is then streaked into light and dark portions of wood. 
The light portions are now broadly motted with a "cool" wash, and then 
the whole softened. Whilst still wet, we take the thin oak overgrainer, 
and put in the black and Vandyke veins, working the tool as for walnut, but 
with more black and less curly markings. The veins are now well badgered, 
and any plain portions may be stippled ere the panel dries. If desired, it 
may afterwards be wetted over with clean water and a broad mottler, and the 
black veins then worked up and added to with the veining fitch or sable 
pencil. Varnishing or "binding down," comes next, and then a wash of 
mahogan}^ lake and Vandyke. This is sligtly mottled or wiped out with the 
leather, the knots worked up and shaded, and then all softened with the bad- 
ger, after which a good coat of varnish completes the imitation. The rich- 
ness and beauty of good rosewoad can scarcely be gathered from such small 
surfaces as were previously indicated. A piece of old solid rosewood furni- 
ture which recently came under my notice, and the wood for which had been 
brought to this country by a master mariner, was of such unusual beauty, 
that I was almost tempted to try and reproduce it in black and white here- 
with; but wiser thoughts prevailed. It consisted of a large heart-shaped 
centre or knot, out of which bright and reflected rays, or lights, spread out on 
either hand; shaping up and surrounding which was black veining of so 
pretty and symmetrical an arrangement, that had it been a grained imitation, 
I verily believe any person acquainted with the subject would have condem- 
ned it for this very prettiness. It is therefore advisable that the student of 
graining should endeavor to fix in his mind all such natural grain arrange- 
ments of the more costly woods that he may come across, and then work 
them out in his practice and study. 

7>a,^ is another variety of Asiatic growth, imported for the most part 
from India and Further India. It is of very massive growth, and its extremely 
hard and durable nature makes it invaluable for ship-building purposes. In 
the neigborhood of seaport towns we occasionally find it used for the or- 
namental parts of house woodwork and for furniture. Its varying qualities 



y2 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

of suitability for cabinet-work — some logs being much more amenable to 
fine work than others — give it only a limited scope in' that line. In ap- 
pearance it partakes of the grain of pitch pine, but in color, when polished, 
it more nearly approaches cheap walnut. It may be easily imitated in w^ater 
graining, after the method explained for pitch pine. The ground is rather 
stronger in yellow than for walnut, and much ligtherin tone. The graining 
color should be brown, free from any "lakey" tone — either burnt Turkey 
umber or black and burnt sienna — and the veins and figure pure black and 
very deep browns. The general method of working advised for the two 
preceding imitations may be followed for teak with equal success. 

Imitations of Bi^rh are seldom used for house woodwork, but may be 
usefully employed for furniture, since bedroom suites of the real wood are 
much in demand. As it is impossible to explain its exact appearance to the 
student by letterpress or verbal description, I merely append the simple 
mode of working it, which will be easily interpreted with a real specimen to 
study from. The ground is a light clean bufi", made from white lead, stained 
wdth either yellow ochre or raw sienna in oil. In graining, we brush over 
the surface with a thin wash of warm brown, making the panel of two or 
three broad color shades. With a large maple mottler we then mottle from 
the darker parts into the light, working slantways as for maple, but leaving 
a broad and stifFer mark. While this is still wet we soften the panel, and 
then slightly mottle across the previous work to break it up. When this is 
thoroughly dry we carefully wet the work over with clean water and a 
clean mottler, and then put in the darker overgrain with a thin oak over- 
grainer or overgrainer in tubes, using a stronger wash of the same graining 
color. A light varnish is advisable for this imitation. 

Silver Wood 'waSX.dMxovi is a variety that has also been, at times, much in 
request as a finish for bedroom furniture. In ' 'genus' ' and ' 'order' ' silver 
wood is really related to the sycamore and maple, and when graining it 
many experienced workers rather exaggerate the blue-grey tone which is 
usual 'to the real wood. Since woods that possess a general cool tone are 
very uncommon, this slight forcing of its blue color may at times be a par- 
donable matter, but when used in combination with red woods, for imita- 
tion inlays, its natural greyness only should be aimed at. 

The ground for silver wood should be quite wdiite, prepared from white 
lead or zinc white. If, as is usually the case, the imitation be worked upon 
oil-paint ground, it is as well to slightly neutralize the j^ellowness of the 
linseed oil by adding a touch of blue-black. The graining color is a weak 
beer wash, stained with blue-black and mdigo blue (finely ground in water). 
This being spread, the silvery mottle is worked with a camel hair mottler in 
straight sharp lines across the panel, making some portions plainer, as with 
maple. > If the work permits, we at once proceed to wipe out the clear re- 
flected lights from amongst the previous mottling, this being done with, 
preferably, an old, or "burnt edge," camel hair mottler. Should the pane] 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 73 

dry too quickly over the mottling process, we may leave it until, by wetting 
over again with clean water, we are able to obtain the desired effect. To 
finish the imitation, we now put in a fine straight overgrain, crossing the 
mottling at right angles, and after the growth of the plainer treatments of 
maple. A thin wash of Vandyke brown, used so that the overgrain is just 
perceptible, will bring out the full value of our cool tones, and whilst soften- 
ing the form of the mottle will give the faint warm hue wdiich is found in 
this variety of real sycamore. Softening and stippling with the badger will 
further be advisable, as in all water graining. It need scarcely be added 
that the purest of white varnish should be used for silver wood. For furni- 
ture, much of this work is done upon distemper-prepared grounds, as ex- 
plained in an earlier paper, and for finishing which a white spirit vatnish 
is used. 

Tulip Wood imitation is an ornamental variety, very useful for painted 
inlays, being of a rich red color, and having an uncommon appearance of 
grain. The tree which is popularly so styled is seldom seen growing to any 
size in this country, and rarely elsewhere than in gardens. The mature 
growth of a hundred feet is, however, common to it in its natural climes of 
North America. Although used both by cabinet makers and coach builders, 
it is seldom worked in any size for furniture. Its imitation for inlay work 
may easily be obtained upon a light yellowish-red ground by spreading a 
thin coat of mahogany lake and a little Vandyke thereon. This is slightly 
stippled, and then the cross lines of darker reds are painted in with an over- 
grainer or pencil, according to size of surface, using the lake and burnt 
sienna to the desired tone. When used for inlay the stripes are shown cross- 
ways of the line or ornament. 

Amboyna TF^^^ is the name of a richly colored variety, so called from 
the place it is imported from — viz., the Island of Amboyna, of the Moluccas. 
Its chief characteristics are masses of small knots, somewhat similar to the 
clusters found in our native pollarded oak, the color, however, being brighter 
and more gairish. As this is seldom used in mass, but only for small sur- 
faces or inlays, imitations of very small knot-clusters of oak will usually 
suffice. For graining, the ground may be similar to that for tulip wood, or 
rather more yellow. The knots are put in with a round fitch and pencil, 
using burnt sienna and burnt umber, or Vandyke and sienna; and the final 
glaze, after binding down, may be done with varying tones of red and 
brown. 

New Zealand Oak — or Yew, as it is sometimes termed — is a wood very 
similar to Amboyna, so far as growth and grain goes, but withoutany of the 
redness of the latter. In large surfaces we find the masses of knots sur- 
rounded by very pleasing surfaces of a plainer nature, wherein are fine grain 
and soft mottle — in fact, all the features of English pollard oak upon less 
regular lines. The best color for imitating this is burnt Turkey umber, 
with Vandyke brown for warmer parts and for the glaze and overgrain. 



74 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



Purple Wood is the name given to a very deep red variety. As it is 
used chiefly for fine lines and in minute pieces, its color opacity or positive- 
ness, is the main quality. It is usually worked in soft veins and markings 
of mahogany lake, ivory black, and Vandyke upon a very deep led. In the 
cheaper imitations of inlay upon light furniture Indian red pigment alone is 
used. 

Black, for painted imitations and inlaying of ebony, may be either lamp- 
black well rubbed up with old beer, or ivory black, which can usually be 
obtained finely ground in turps. This latter should be put on blotting 
paper to draw out the turps, and may then be readily mixed with beer. 
For line work and fine ornament the purest neutral black must be used; and 
the simple plan described above is much to be preferred to that of imper- 
fectly rubbing up the dry drop black. 




CHAPTER XIII. 

IMITATIONS OP INLAID WOODS. 

^HK art of inlaying — a word that explains itself^has 
been practiced to some extent for many centuries. 
Mosaic, perhaps the most ancient, marquetry and 
parquetry, and the inlaying of metals, are all four 
different methods of working out the same idea of 
ornamentation. With the metals and mineral pro- 
ducts we have here no concern, whilst the connection 
of thCvSe papers with marquetry work— the inlaying 
of furniture — and parquetry — its application to floors 
— can only be of a somewhat remote nature. A gen- 
eral resume of these inlaying arts would doubtless 
serve as the best introduction to studying their painted imitations — since 
both painted mosaic and metal inlays are as practically useful in decoration 
as those of woods — but for the present the student musl look for this in 
other directions. All I can attempt to do in the space of two chapters is 
to explain how, in connection with these lessons on graining, the technical 
processes of painting, graining, outlining, staining, etc., are so manipulated 
as to obtain the desired imitations of inlaid woodwork. 

Suitable Designs for Inlaying are factors in this work upon which much 
of the resultant success will depend. The production of good ornamental 
design — that which is original— can seldom be forthcoming without the com- 
bined resources of a natural inventive faculty and a trained eye and hand. 
Very few grainers lay claim to being also ornamental designers, and fewer 
still can justify that claim. Perhaps the next best thing to being able to 
create an ornament is to know when a design is suitable for any particular 
purpose^ This knowledge should be possessed by the imitator of woods in 
its application to inlaid work. Without, therefore, presuming to initiate my 
practical readers into mythical principles of idealistic lines and contours 
upon which, presumably, ornamental forms are produced, I will indicate sim- 
ply how, and why so, a design for inlaying should be arranged. 

The ornament, in the first place, should be of the nature termed flat, 
and therefor akin to that for stenciling. The basis of the idea, that of lay- 



76 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



ing in one wood upon another, resents any attempt at shadow or rounding, 
whilst the first principle of construction — viz., utility — is outraged if we at- 
tempt light and shade upon surfaces like table tops and the floors we walk 




Fig .12. 



ng. L— iaggestlon for noor Buflji In Old " K«y» l>Btt«ra. r\s. I— ftlDOier Bnggertlon for nisor Marsls. Figs. S, *.— Treatmenti for Panelling 
. la Imlcatlous of Inlaid Work. Pigs. 3a. 4a.— Comeri of Larger Fanala In Fig*. 3, 1 enlai^O/ Pig. e.— Panel Treatmenta In Walnut and Ebony 
on Ugbt Wood for Dlnlng-Room. Fig. 7.— Ditto for Drawing-? 3m Fl;a 6. 6.— FancT Pnal»-Ugi>t Woods onDark. Flga 9, 10.— Corners 
for Panels. Figs. 11. 12. - Simple Borders Is Imitation Inlaid Worlr . 

upon, whether it be in mosaic work or parquetry. Color in inlaid work has 
certainly some purpose and mission, but form is of chief importance, and 
therefore very careful and accurate drawing is required. Contrast of light 
against dark, and not color-contrast — a distinction with a difference — is the 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 77 

means whereby the ornamental form is displayed. In the more elaborate 
specimens of marquetry, conventional representations of material forms and 
figures are, however, sometimes executed. Outlining with light wood or 
black is then resorted to, that the design may be properly defined; and, in 
such cases, the color-stained woods are used to give a soft richness and to 
help make a picture. The margin between that correct art, which orna- 
ments the constructive and useful, and the bad art, which sacrifices all sense 
of use and first purpose to ornamentation, is here but a very narrow boun- 
dary line. The colored inlays of the Italian mediaeval work and the costly 
"Buhl" work of French production are usually free from any such reproach, 
since in these productions we find the same excellence attained as in the best 
Persian painted decoration, where light and shade is suggested to perfection, 
but never directly represented. 

In the imitation of inlays a learner's best effects are commonly obtained 
by graining woods in their natural colors, leaving the polychromatic arrange- 
ments for the perfected skill of experienced workers. His scope is by no 
means limited thereby, as a glance at the woods mentioned in the preceding 
paper will prove. Two or three well-arranged varieties, worked into a 
good design, give but little trouble, and amply repay the time and labor in- 
volved. 

We will now interest ourselves with simple methods and treatments, 
chieflj in their connection with and applicability to the woodwork of build- 
ings, leaving to the final paper the execution of more diflScult and intricate 
panels and table tops. 

The Grounds for Imitation Inlays should invariably be light in color. 
A perfectly level surface must be maintained, and it is by this desideratum 
our methods are governed. It is quite apparent to anyone possessing only a 
slight knowledge of painting that an opaque white ornament cannot be ob- 
tained against a dark background without the former being coated so many 
times as to destroy the even surface. On the- other hand, it is possible to 
cover up portions of a light ground, even to blackness, without any appreci- 
able thickness of pigment, hence the reason for light grounds. When white 
unpainted wood is the ground worked upon, for simple inlays we may pre- 
pare-the surface with a coat of varnish, and thenceforward treat as a painted 
ground. For delicate work, however, in which we desire to stain the wood 
itself, a totally different plan is advisable; this we will consider later on. 

Inlaid Floor Margins have occasionally provided work for the grainer 
for many weeks in the "good old days." Although the real parquetry is 
now so cheap that its imitations may seldom furnish employment for the op- 
erative, this branch may well be followed by the amateur worker. Many 
persons now use a margin of imitation parquet linoleum, in place of the plain 
staining of floor boards, but there is little doubt that a stained ornamental 
border would be generally preferred to either. 

Fig. I is intended for two woods only — dark walnut upon a light 



j8 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

oak. Fig. 2 is made more ornate and effective by the further addition 
of ebony wood imitation. To apply these designs we first make a full size 
line drawing of the border, and from that make a tracing upon a piece of 
cartridge-paper. This is easily done by rubbing over the back of the out- 
line drawing with a little dry red or black lead, then pinning the two to- 
gether upon a table with drawing-pins and marking over the drawing with 
a fine-pointed stick or pen-holder. The color is thereby pressed into the 
face of the cartridge-paper. We make a tracing upon cartridge-paper for 
each different wood used — hence two for border Fig. 2 and then cut out the 
parts of the design corresponding to the wood. When the design is of one 
color only, one stencil is sufficient; but it may be necessary to make good 
the ties by hand aftewards, in which case it takes as long as working two 
stencils. The floor must be well cleaned, and as smooth and level as we are 
able to get it. It is advisable to strike two or three chalk lines, marking 
the center and extremes of the border to which we work the stencil. The 
corners are best set out separately and put in by hand, unless of an intricate 
nature, when it will be quickest to use stencils. A coat of hard-drying oak 
varnish, stained with raw sienna in oil and a little raw umber, is first spread 
over the whole margin to get the oak color and prepare the wood also. The 
border being set out when this is dry, we first stencil in the walnut, using 
burnt umber with the same varnish, and then lampblack with varnish for 
the ebony. The first varnish coating enables us to stencil these cleanly, and 
the marginal lines are put in last with a fitch and straight edge. A coat of 
hard-drying varnish all over, and then rubbing with beeswax and turps, will 
make a good and durable finish. 

Plaiyi Panelled Dados and Wahiscot are woodwork of a higher order of 
construction, and with such as these simple inlays may be admirably worked. 
For chapels or school-rooms wherein are large quantities to be treated, our 
ornament must be both suitable and ea,gily executed. I therefore 
show two suggestions of design (Figs. 3 and 4), in both of which 
a black outline may be pencilled on with beer and lampblack after 
the stencils are used, or the design may be all black. The prepara- 
tory coating of varnish is here also advised, and the ornament executed 
upon the same plan as for the floor borders. These, I am well aware, may 
be but "bastard" imitation inlays. It would, however, be worse than use- 
less to attempt the same expensive method for cheap panelling as we should 
use upon a table top. Stencils, if specially designed aud cleanly cut and 
u ed, will bear all reasonable inspection, and if time can be spared to paint 
tlie fine black outline by hand, there will be no perceptible thickness to mit- 
igate against the desired inlay effect. 

Simple Inlay Designs for Grained Doors will now be within the scope of 
learners who have worked at the previous easier treatments. These samples 
(Figs. 5 — 8) are intended to be worked in two varieties of wood upon a 
third. Figs. 5 — 7 may be used upon maple graining with mahogany or wal- 



THE ART OF GRAINING. yg 



nut ornament, and black for fine detail and lines. Figs. 6 and 8 are upon 
walnut ground, with ornament in maple, grey hair-wood, and amboyna. 
Besides these complete panels, which will enable the worker to judge the 
effect of a finished panel, I give in Figs. 9 and 10 some very easy corner or- 
naments, which make up neat and pleasing panels by using them in the 
corners and joining with fine lines. Figs. 11 and 12 represent simple scroll 
borders, useful either for panels or the flat member of a door architrave. 

A zealous student with a little knowledge of drawing will very soon 
augment this little selection of ornaments. We are surrounded at all times, 
in the streets of the city and at the fireside, with different ornamental forms 
and expressions. A faculty for adapting lineal forms to the special require- 
ments of our work is the essence of that which is commonly termed design- 
ing; for the beauty and perfection of an ornament is not judged solely by 
its lines of grace or intricacy, but rather by its fitness for the position it oc- 
cupies and exigencies of the material we work in. It is, therefore, indubit- 
ably apparent that the man who executes the inlay should make a better de- 
sign than the draftsman who is ignorant of the practical work and technique. 

Methods of executing Grained Inlays may now be explained. Since one 
general system of working will apply to all my panel illustrations, I will take 
Figs. 7 and 8 and show how to grain them upou painted grounds. 

For both panels we "get up" the surface and ground them for maple 
imitation. Our first sample being darker woods upon maple background, 
we proceed to imitate the latter wood — with distemper color as previously 
described — all over the panel. As we are to enrich this panel by ornament, 
we purposely keep the maple figure very subdued and finish it entirely be- 
fore we varnish. The panel being now ready for the other woods, we have 
first to make a careful drawing of the ornamental outline and prick this 
through at very close intervals. For small work a sheet of thin note-paper 
answers admirably. Having now our pounced drawing, we also make a 
little muslin bag of cheap dry ultramarine, or any similar finely ground pig- 
ment, for conveying our design to the panel. Before this is required we 
take our distemper colors, Vandyke brown, etc., and a little beer, and grain 
over the corners of the panel or wherever the walnut portions of the design 
come. This can be roughly judged by the eye alone, or if much walnut is 
wanted we grain the whole panel. We have now to secure those parts of 
the walnut we want for the design and to remove the superfluity. This end 
we attain by painting the design with a vehicle of any nature which w^e can 
afterwards remove by a solvent and brush, and such as water will not effect. 
For this purpose a little finest Brunswick black will answer best with painted 
inlays. We, therefore — the walnut being dry — now pounce the design 
thereon, and then carefully paint the w^alnut portions in with a sable pencil 
and the black. The latter dries quickly, and the superfluous walnut is then 
cleaned off Ihe maple with a soft sponge and warm water. We have now 
the black, or ebony, to execute. We take a little black pigment — lamp- 



8o THE ART OF GRAINING. 

black will do, but far preferably ivory black (see preceding paper) and this 
being ground to the finest quality is rubbed upon the palette with a little 
beer only. We now take a soft camel hair brush or the mottler, and brush 
over those parts of the the panel where black is required. If the distemper 
black is spread carefully a very thin coating will cover. When this is dry 
we again pounce in the design. If we use fine drawing paper and drawing- 
pins we may easily fix the pounce correctl}' by pinning into the first set of 
holes. We now cover the black parts with the Brunswick black, and when 
dry clean off the superfluity of distemper color with w^ater. All again being 
thoroughl}' dry we carefully damp over the Brunswick with clean, pure oil 
of turpentine, and after a little time we are enabled to remove it all with a 
soft camel-hair tool, leaving the walnut and ebony ornament, sharp and 
clean, upon the maple panel. 

With panel Fig. 8, upon walnut ground, we adopt the same expedient. 
First we make the grej^ hair-wood, pounce and black it in, clean the panel, 
and then grain maple all over or where wanted only, just as we please, but 
keeping the figure very faint, since walnut will cover most of it. We paint 
in the maple parts with Brunswick as before, and then, without cleaning 
off, since amboj'na is a stronger colored variety, grain our amboj'na parts. 
This being bound down where permanently required, we take our beer colors 
and overgrainers and grain the panel walnut all over. When thoroughly 
dry, we take the turpentine solvent and soak off and remove the Brunswick 
black, leaving the ornament in maple, hair-wood, and amboyna against the 
walnut background. The panel is now ready for two coats of copal varnish, 
the lightest and best quality of which is desirable. 




CHAPTER XIV. 

PAINTED IMITATIONS OF MARQUETRY — FURTHER METHODS OF EXECUTING 
GRAINED AND STAINED INLAYS, WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR 
tSWJvMu PRACTICAL USE. 

lEFORE considering separately the different treatments 
connected with the accompanying illustrations, it may 
be advisable for a brief space to gather up the ' 'threads" 
of the preceding paper, so far as their bearing upon 
this lesson is of present importance. In the 
former article I explained the processes usually 
adopted when simple combinations of woods are 
worked; whilst I endeavored, by an illustration of ornamental effects, to 
secure the student's practical interest in this pleasing branch of decorative 
graining. Although arrangements of several different varieties of woods 
were therein explained, both of light upon dark, and vice versa, the prbiciple 
of working whereby portions of a surface are temporarily protected— techni- 
cally called "bound down," or "stopped out" — was, however, but briefly 
analyzed. This point of interest and importance, as also that relating to 
color-contrast between the component divisions of a design, will now profit- 
ably engage a little more attention. 

The ''Stopping oiiV Process is the means to an end which, in its appli- 
cation to inlay imitations, rather puzzles the learner. He can usually dis- 
cover how a dark ornament can be bound down upon a light ground, by 
simply stencilling the pattern over the walnut distemper graining with a 
thin coating of transparent varnish or gold size, and then cleaning oflF the 
remaining part with water; but to get the pattern light upon a dark wood, 
is altogether beyond his ken. The first point is to understand that the 
ground color for the lightest variety of wood to be imitated must necessarily 
be the ground color of them all, since any attempt to paint in the various 
creams, buffs, reds, etc., required for graining large surfaces w^ould at once 
make the desired finished appearance of inlay a virtual impossibility. The 
next stage of enlightenment is reached when the student fully grasps the 
difference between graining the varieties in oil and in water. If we figure, 
in oil color, a surface in light oak, and then, when dry, work over it an 



82 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

imitation of knotted oak, also by the oil process, with the notion of subse- 
quently removing some parts of the latter, we should attempt a difficult 
task. Assuming that we could preserve the design by stopping it out with 
some vehicle, we should, in trying to remove the surrounding parts, have to 
use a solvent (turpentine), which would at once loosen also the light oak 
beneath. Hence, by using water colors, we are enabled to clean off the sur- 
face with water onl}^; whilst the stopping-out varnish covering the portion 
to be ultimately displayed is not in the least affected at that stage. This 
principle is not at all an uncommon one in decorative and kindred practices. 
With glass embossing, for instance, we paint over — i. e., "stop out" — that 
portion of the surface into which the acid is not required to eat. When the 
latter has done its work, we find that the Brunswick black is not affected by 
the acid, although by the use of turpentine we can readily clean the black 
off the glass, now that its purpose has been served. Other examples might 
be noted, biH doubtless enough has been written thereon for the least expe- 
rienced of my readers. 

^'Stopping'" Var7iishes of several different natures may be used, and the 
solvents for their subsequent removal must naturally be of kindred variety. 
Simple wood naptha varnish will answer the purpose, and can be cleaned off 
with the same spirit. An ordinary shellac varnish of the "white hard" 
kind will, of course, require alcohol for its removal; whilst any painter's 
vehicle into which turpentine largely enters, will also answer the purpose. 
Those which I can confidently advise the learner to use are white lac 
varnish for staining inlays upon real wood surface, and the finest Brunswick 
black for working upon oil-painted grounds. Canada balsam may be used 
for the more delicate and intricate of painted designs, but the above black 
varnish is as reliable for this work as it is for embossing. Turpentine, the 
solvent for the two varnishes last mentioned, is far less liable to damage a 
painted surface than the more "fiery" spirit solvents; hence their better 
suitability. 

In manipulating the solvents some care and patience are necessary to 
remove the varnish. The former should be well flooded over the design, 
and the soft camel's hair "dabber" — such as gilders and polishers use — 
should be employed, more for mopping up the solvent than for rubbing the 
varnish. If the spirit or turpentine is allowed to thoroughly loosen the var- 
nish, no great difficulty will be experienced in removing it; but if much 
pressure and friction be used, the water-graining — held together only by the 
glutinous nature of the beer-fluid — will probably be loosened also. Before 
executing any permanent ornamental work, the novice should well practice 
this operation, and also aim to temper his varnishes with a little turpentine 
or white polish, respectively, in order to use them only of that strength nec- 
essary to protect the graining, and be the least trouble to clean off. 

Colo7-Combinatio7is and Harmonious Contrasts of the Various Woods con- 
tained in any design is a branch of the subject requiring special study. One 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



S3 



of the best sources of knowledge thereon is, naturally, the real marquetry 
work of a good make. If, added to this eye-training, the student will fix in 
his mind the few subjoined color notes, the artistic effect of his completed 




Fig-.IO. Fig-, n 

'^■■J't;*'^*"''*"* '"'' '"* ^ORK. No. 90), Fig. 2.— Snggestloo for Brawfer Fronta. Flp. 3.— Square Table Leg. Flga. 4 and B.-Clrcul«T Caitf. 
... ,?■!; . iS'- ° ^* T.— Corner and Break for Ivory on Ebony. Fig. 8.— SImpW Bbrder In mree Woods. . Filfa. 9 «nd H.-imitaUoa Inlay 
« appued to Finger-Plateo. . Fig. 10.— Bracket Panel Fig. 12.— Drawer Front for Mnslo Cabinet 



eflFort will be worthy his best executive labor. Although in painted imita- 
tion inlays the decorative effect should be almost wholly the result of orna- 
mental lines and form, as brought out by contrast of shade— light against 



84 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

dark — we find that j'/rtm^^ imitations of marquetry upon a plain wood sur- 
face give more legitimate scope for harmonious color-effect. A large portion 
of real inlaid work is of the latter kind, in which the ornament consists of 
dyed woods of various light tints let into a dark surface of richly-colored 
wood. Even in combinations of grained woods, however, a slight knowledge 
of color will enable us to get an enhanced effect without sacrificing the nat- 
uralness of the grain imitation: — Complementary colors are those which 
heighten the effect of each other by contrast when juxtaposed. True com- 
plementaries are such that balance each other, and which, if their colors be 
united, combine to reproduce white light. Sensations of color which in 
their entirety are equivalent to white light are usually conceded to be har- 
mo7ims combinations — that is to say, agreeable and pleasing to the educated 
mind of humanity. From this it follows that complementary colors are the 
basis of harmonious or correct color- effects. Now, according to our modern 
theories and experiments, the complementary of a pure blue is a pure yellow, 
the complementary of pure red is a decidedly greenish-blue; whilst orange 
and blue (of an aerial hue), and lemon yellow with its complementary violet, 
are the other chief pairs of opposing and balancing contrasts. 

In applying these principles to our work we have therefore a scientific 
basis to build upon. We thus know that a yellow or golden color wood 
will best harmonize with blue tints. Suppose we have, not a pure blue tint, 
but a violet or warm blue; the yellow, in such an instance, must also be 
modified by the addition of a little blue, making a greenish or chrome 
yellow. So also with red and its complementary; for if a purple-red (that is, 
with a little blue added), then must the complementary be made greener. 
In short, that combination of pairs which we make "warmer" on the one 
side, must be "cooled" on the other; hence orange warmed or reddened to a 
vermilion red must be contrasted by a complementary nearer to that of pure 
red than of yellow — viz., a greenish-blue. r 

When inlaying for color-effect upon rosewood, this being a dark purple- 
red, the foregoing teaches us that greenish-yellow tints are most harmonious. 
Also we learn that amboyna (orange) hues are heightened by contrast with 
an "aerial" ( or slightly green-hued) blue. Beyond this, it must be broadly 
laid down that combined shades and tints of the complementary colors can 
only be used in subordination to the inlay principle, and that the outline 
and form of ornament must be distinctive before all considerations of pure 
color. 

Exeaiting Stained Inlays is, to the writer's mind, the most artistic out- 
come of a knowledge of imitating woods. Having so fully explained the 
method of "stopping out" in connection with painted imitations, there is no 
necessity to dwell upon its adaptation to working transparent stains. Any 
spirit or water stains, washes of grainer's pigments, such as the siennas, 
Vandyke, indigo, aniline dyes, or "Judson's" stains, may be used. The 
best white sycamore makes probably the most suitable ground to work upon, 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 85 

and if, as is usually the case, we desire to retain some portions of its 
whiteness, it is best to give it, all over, two coats of parchment size. 
These white portions are stopped in, and the size then cleaned off 
with warm water; when dry, the lightest stains are washed in, covered with 
varnish, and so on, until the complete design is covered in. The back- 
ground of design is now stained and put in, perhaps as rosewood or wahiut, 
and the varnish or balsam dissolved away, leaving the work sharp and 
clean for French polishing. 

When executing such as the above, there is a natural tendency of the 
stain to spread beyond the confines of its portion. To remedy this, we may 
give the wood a preparatory coat of strong clear size, which partly fills the 
pores of the wood. In this case, however, the wood is not so properly 
stained. A better treatment, although a more tedious job, is to maintain an 
imitation inlay margin, or fine line, to the ornament. This can be either 
pure black or the white, unstained color of the wood. If the white line is 
desired, we paint this in with a fine sable pencil and Canada balsam before 
we lay in the washes of stain, which latter are then easily worked into their 
respective places. If a black margin is desired, we coat the surface all over 
(using a camel's hair brush) with ivory-black and beer; when dry, paint in 
the outline with stopping varnish, and thtn clean all the black off with warm 
water. In both cases, it need hardly be said, the double coating of patent 
size must be temporarily used, and then removed after the outline is stopped 
in. Were this neglected, it would be impossible to entirely remove the 
superfluous black stain in the latter instance; whilst in the white outline 
the sizing prevents the varnish running, and enables a sharp, clean pencil- 
line to be made. Imitation ivory is inlaid upon ebony in this manner also. 

The ivory ground is nicely got up and finished; the design is then 
stopped in, and the whole surface carefully coated with the beer-black. The 
solvent is finally very carefully applied over the design; and when the var- 
nish is thus softened and removed, we have a solid white ivory crnament 
against ebony ground. The ornament may be hatched and finished by a 
very fine sable pencil, and fine black from the tube. 

Turning now to the illustrations. Fig. i shows a suggestion for treating 
the familiar card table. The imitation inlaying of the checker- 
board in ebony and boxwood would provide good practice, and be 
more attractive than black and white paint. The ornament might be in 
light harmonious tints upon rosewood or walnut. Fig. 2 is a simple sugges- 
tion for treating drawer fronts and sides; whilst Fig. 3 could be applied 
to straight table-legs. Figs. 4 and 5 are for a circular card-table top — 
the squares in satinwood and rosewood; the ornament surrounding it in 
hght tints upon dark; but the border would be more effective with the order 
reversed, dark against light. Figs. 6 and 7 are corner and break ornaments 
for cabinet panels of inlaid ivory on ebony. Fig. 8 is an effective border for 
three woods. Fig. 9 is a somewhat Elizabethan design applied to a finger- 



86 THE ART OF GRAINING 

plate. This and Fig. ii are drawn about one-fourth full size. The former, 
in satinwood upon walnut or ebony, would make a nice finish on a grained 
door in satinwood or maple. Fig. ii should be used on a dark door, and be 
executed in rosewood upon a light wood. Fig. loisan ornamental arrange- 
ment that could be easily adapted to the panels of a hanging bracket of sim- 
ilar proportion. Fig. 12 is an ornament for the fronts of a music cabinet; 
it would look well in either ivory or light harmonious tints upon walnut or 
rosewood of quiet grain. 

All the treatments herein suggested can be modified or entirely re- 
arranged to suit the individual worker. The fine lines should be either ex- 
ecuted with a carriage liner or with a small artist's bevel-edged fitch. The 
designs require first careful drawing to the exact size, and then to be 
pounced or traced upon the ground. For good work, a thorough command 
of the pencil for outlining is absolutely necessary, since the least want of 
balance or symmetry in ornament of this Italian type would condemn the 
whole thing. The execution of these and mucli better designs should be 
possible to all who have followed my instructions; whilst any portion of the 
work requiring further explanation can be attended to in the invaluable col- 
umns of Thk Western Painter. 




CHAPTER XV. 

PRACTlCAIv METHODS OF GRAINING AND IMITATING WOODS, LEATHERS, 
METALS AND MAJOLICA FOR WALL AND CEILING DECORATIONS. 

HE subject of this chapter is a distinct departure from the 
beaten track usually followed by writers on the imitative 
art of the grainer, hence a brief explanation may be accept- 
able to the reader. In the foregoing papers on practical 
graining, an effort has been made to provide the apprentice 
or young beginner with a careful and minute ex.planationof 
the whole technique and practice That this much and 
more has been attained to by other able workers, I grant; but in most in- 
stances the initial cost of the book has been a drawback to a more popular 
study of graining by the young American painter. Although the value of 
my comparatively feeble black and white illustrations may be questioned by 
some experienced critics, their mission must not be misunderstood. Just as 
it is far easier to describe a circle by drawing one than to verbally explain its 
nature to the juvenile mind, so many of my little sketches will bridge over 
technical difi&culties of explanation particular to unsympathetic "cold type," 
Moreover it will be readily granted by any experienced grainer that nature 
alone is the best copy and source of inspiration; and since all varieties of the 
woods already discussed are within reach of every zealous student, our illus- 
trations need no further apology. 

But it is not my desire to leave the subject of decorative imitations with- 
out devoting a little space to certain modern aspects of the work alike useful 
and interesting to the up-to-date house painter and decorator. Notwith- 
standing graining in its best and truest aspects is executed now-a-days upon 
lines almost identical with the methods of fifty, or even one hundred, years 
ago in Great Britain, all other kinds of decorative work have greatly 
changed. The wall paper manufacturer has long since ousted the painter 
from his interior wall painting and mural decorating; and now within the 
last ten years the inventive faculty of the age has been in overwhelming com- 
petition with the art of the wood carver and cabinet maker. So far, however, 
machinery has not succeeded in imitating the color and transparent woody 
effect of a carved oak panel. Substance, surface texture and even the mark- 
ings of tlie gravers' tools are faithfully reproduced in our modern lyincrusta 
material, but if a ceiling or dado of this relief decoration is desired in any 
imitative effects of wood, leather, etc., — then the painter and decorator must 



88 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 




POMPiillAN DADO, No •>•> 
ANAGLYPTA DECORATIONS - THE MODERN ASPECT OF WOOD IMITATIONS. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 




GOTHIC DADO, No. 138. 



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ADJUSTABLE PANEL DADO, No, 67. 
ANAGLYPTA DECORATIONS — THE MODERN ASPECT OF WOOD IMITATIONS. 



po THE ART OF GRAINING. 

be called in. There is little probability of machinery doing this kind of dec- 
orative graining; although, in a succeeding paper, we shall gather some 
notions of the possibilities of some up-to-date mechanical graining aids and 
patents. 

In compiling the accompanying illustrations I have selected those mate- 
rials having a special relation to woody effects. Lincrusta and Anaglypta, 
both originally coming to the United States from the mother country, repre- 
sent two distinctive kinds of material and surface. They are, moreover, 
extensively utilized as substitutes for hardwood decorations and many designs 
have been specially prepared and the rollers engraved in imitations of carved 
wood. Besides the two modern inventions above mentioned, there is 
"Lignomur," of domestic manufacture, and "Cordelova," coming from the 
land of "kilts and claymores," both of which have special and valuable feat- 
ures as imitative decorations. For the present the practical scope of the 
lesson will be best served if we confine ourselves to "Lincrusta" and "Ana- 
glypta," both of which are now known and extensively used throughout 
this country. 

First a few introductory notes concerning the nature and history of these 
products, which, although not appearing at first glance very germane to the 
subject, will be valuable as explaining the particular qualities of the materials 
for painting. Liucrusta is now nearly twenty years old, having been 
medaled at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Having been personally connected 
with some of the important buildings on which it was first used, one is 
tempted to draw a comparison between the original English product, "L,ino- 
leum Muralis," and the Lincrusta Walton manufactured today by F. Beck 
Co., of New York. But space will scarcely allow this. Briefly: "Lin- 
crusta Walton" as now made was the patent of one Frederick Walton, the 
managing director of a very large firm of "Linoleum," or floor cloth, man- 
ufacturers. Handling so much Linoleum, Mr. Walton became impressed 
with its qualities of durability and tenacity, and its possible use for covering 
walls suggested itself to him. 

The drying property or oxidization of linseed oil is now generally under- 
stood by every practical painter. This same principle has much to do with 
Lincrusta, since the inventor described it as "a composition of oxidized lin- 
seed oil and fibre." In the form of a paste it is rolled upon a backing, orig- 
inally of thin muslin but now of .stout waterproof paper; it then passes be- 
tween engraved metal rollers into which latter the design has been cut. In 
finished appearance Lincrusta excels for sharpness and cleanness any other 
solid relief work that we know of; whilst the raw materials from which it is 
produced speak plainly, to the painter, of all men, that the product is water- 
proof, elastic and pliable. Like paint, it hardens with age, but even when 
new the surface is quite non-absorbenl. The native colors of Lincrusta is a 
very important item to the decorator, and although it is now made in Britain 
in various fancy "art tints," the American stock color is the most useful way. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



9' 



"Anaglypta," the second relief material from which my illustrations are 
drawn, is a much later invention. Moreover, it differs entirely in nature 
from "lyincrusta" and hence the preparatory work for imitative treatment 

must be governed thereby, I suppose 
its manufacture is one of the most 
interesting processes connected with 
the decorative trades; since at one end 
of the machine we see the liquid pulp, 
made from pure while linen rags, and 
at the other out comes the beautifully 
engraved Anaglypta rolls. From the 
machine it passes continuously up a 
hot air chamber to the top of the factory 
and then through a sizing machine 
which brushes on and also stipples the 
size. In briefly reviewing the process 
of manufacture, its main decorative 
features are thereby indicated, viz., 
the whiteness of the product and its 
practically non-absorbent surface. 

Lignomur and Cordelova both have 
afl&nity with Anaglypta so far as na- 
tive color is concerned; but in neither 
case have they the non -absorbent 
quality of Anaglypta and hence require 
slightly more preparatory treatment. 
Apart from this, all these four inventions herein enumerated have each 
admirable and individual qualities and characteristics, as modern decorations. 
The connection of relief decorations with the graining of woods and 
other imitative effects will be apparent by a 
glance at the respective manufacturers' illus- 
trated catalogues. We have in these mater- 
ials dado designs in many kinds and styles of 
art; ceiling decorations, both low and high in 
relief, even to imitating the wooden panel 
mouldings; and carved figure and genre panels 
without limit. Those enlightened persons to 
whom the grainer's work is a miserable sham 
and an abomination have in these materials, 
which not only imitate the carver's art but the 
substance of the wood carved, with its grain and 
pores, a greater subject on which to pour out 

their vials of wrath. But, aside from this controversy, which I purpose con- 
sidering in another paper, these beautiful machine made decorations have 
come to stay. Every year they are increasing in use and merit, and there- 




LIGNOMUR DECORATIONS. 

Wall treatments in imitations of "olG blue," 

majolica, tile dado, and tilling of "old 

cinnamon" leather. 




LIGNOMUR, No. 7. 
Used for dados, ceilings, etc. 
wood and majolica effects. 



92 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 




OLD KNGLl.SH OAK CEILING, No. ]:.'!. 
MODERN ANAGLPTA CEILINGS IN LIGHT OAK AND LEATHER EFFECTS. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



93 





ANAGLYPTA DECORATIONS — AN ELIZABETHAN CEILING FOR WOOD, METAL AND 
OLD PLASTER IMITATIONS. NO. 165. 



P4 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

fore it behooves the grainer as well as the painter to be prepared to deal 
economically and artistically with his surfaces. 

It may be suggested that any painter who is a master of the "art of 
graining" and all the technicalities discussed in the preceding chapters will 
find little if any need of this special essay. Such would prove a very erro- 
neous assumption; for although having studied for years and practically 
worked at all the graining methods herein described, my visit to the Ana- 
glypta factory in the north of England a few seasons back proved a very 
profitable experience. When I add to this that many of the most costly and 
artistic interiors I have inspected of the modern and up-to-date kind were 
associated with eJ0Fects in woods, leathers, etc., the present commercial im- 
portance of this work is apparent. 

Wood effects in Lincrusta can be obtained at a comparatively small out- 
lay — providing one goes the right way to work. I would first impress upon 
the mind of the practical reader the great importance of natural color, of 
general and mass color effect; and then the necessity of all imitative figure 
or veining being very subservient, if not entirely omitted. For instance, 
what would be the result if we were to treat a carved panel or dadoing in 
imitation of Savannah pine? Why, simply hideous! The lines of the veins 
would break up and clash with the relief ornament and would utterly destroy 
its effect — since color contrast is more emphatic than shade contrast. Of 
course, this is an extreme example; but a grainer is more likely to have a 
weakness for figure than an ordinary painter, and in such work he must 
operate with great reserve. I remember seeing in a large lyondon hotel a 
dado design of diaper I,incrusta which was quite spoiled by the finish — "dec- 
oration" miscalled. The idea was for carved rosewood, and the black veins 
played havoc with the ornament, whilst it was finally left in high gloss 
varnish just the same as the grained woodwork of the room. This was the 
work of a first-class grainer too! But to return to Lincrusta: I have sam- 
ples of excellent carved oaks, both light and "antique," which were worked 
directly upon the material. The Lincrusta itself gave an excellent ground; 
the work was oil glazed with raw or burnt umber only, then stippled coarsely 
and wiped, en masse, down the face of the enrichment. These panels were 
then flat or wax varnished and finally washed over with dry umber and a 
little fuller's earth for light oak, and black for the "antique," mixed with 
50% each of beer and water. When just drying off, they were again wiped 
off with a damp wash-leather which leaves the water "scumble," or over- 
grain, in the recessed parts of the ornament and gives an antique and 
softened appearance. By this method I have used the renaissance Anaglypta 
dado No. 84 (the line drawing of which can convey but a poor idea of its 
beauty) in a dining-room, so that it was impossible to see any difference 
between the imitation dado and a costly and carved overmantel of antique 
oak. Beyond this the dado was entirely done by an intelligent apprentice, 
who only had to have his colors mixed. Lincrusta undoubtedly scores for 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



95 





>^M 



ANAGLYPTA DECORATIONS — A RENAISSANCE CEILING IN IMITATINE WOODS. 



p6 



777^ ART OF GRAINING. 



DADO. 



No. 1071. 

Pattern-CARVED WOOD. Style-GERMAN RENAISSANCE 




SCALE L-4 ORIGINAL SIZE. 



PATENTED. 



LINCRUSTA IMITATIONS FOR GRAINING EFFECTS 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



97 



economy over all similar materials when we can work directly upon the 
material without painting; hence, for dark woods, dados and dark leather 
effects for walls, the material is at its best. When we have ceilings in high 
relief and carved wood treatments, Anaglypta bears off the palm. Its light 
color and light weight and moreover the beautiful designs in which it is 
produced for paneled ceilings makes it without rival. A few of these I have 
illustrated on another page. I have finished lyincrusta very cheaply 
and effectively by merely glazing over and wiping with dilute black japan; 
but this being thinned with turpentine is scarcely suitable for other than 
dado work, since it will dry too quickly for working over large surfaces. In 
the wiping we require old rags or cloth free from "fluffiness;" this we place 
evenly over a wooden block about eight inches long, three wide and one 
thick. Use the edge of the block with two hands and change the cover 
cloth as it gets saturated. lyincrusta ordinarily requires nothing to make it 
wear, and if a nice uniform finish is desired, use either "flat" varnish well 
rubbed with a cloth and a little paste beeswax previously melted in tur- 
pentine. Never use bright varnish over these materials unless the position 
of the work calls for its frequent washing, or unless we are finishing in effects 
of tiling or majolica. 

The remaining portion of our space must now be devoted to the actual 
methods and processes. Although I shall chiefly connect them with Ana- 
glypta, it will be understood that these details apply generally to Lignomur 
and Cordelova, and also to lyincrusta when the native color of the material 
is no barrier to its use and treatment. Although Anaglypta may generally 
be painted to "bear out" in one coat; a coat of size is always advisable. 
When the material has been hung in its place, whether ceiling or wall work, 
the joints will naturally be more absorbent; but a coating of strong, warm 
glue size, to which a little gildei's whiting is added, should be spread. Size 
so used, especially if it be necessary to stipple the work, has a tendency to 
froth under the brush, and to remedy this add and well mix in about one- 
eighth pint ol turpentine to the gallon. In most cases the surface can now 
be grounded for the graining colors; but if the joints want much puttying 
this should be done in suitable color first and the putty touched over with 
white shellac. The ground color paint should be nearly flat and must be 
well distributed and stippled. If we want a light or new carved oak ceiling 
effect, the ground color only needs to be a light tint of ochre, just a 
decided cream. In this matter of grounds, for ceilings especially, always 
keep on the light side. In the graining or oil "scumbling" process, the color 
will have to be quite a wash, it needs no excess of dryer or other megilp- 
ing agency, and should be about one-half each oil and turps. The best 
way is to put out enough liquids, add a little best japan, or paste dryer, and 
then stain the liquid to our desired effect. Brush over the surface very 
barely, stipple free from "cloudiness," then wipe the raised parts softly, to 
avoid a painty appearaa-'^e, as before advised with block and rags. When 



98 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



HANGING. 



No. 87. 



Pattern— REPOUSS^ WORK. 




SCALE 1-4 ORIGINAL SIZE. 

LINCRUSTA IMITATIONS FOR METAL EFFECTS. 



PATENTED. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



99 



No. 115. 



FILLING. 



Pattern— WOOD. 




SCALE 11 ORIGINAL SIZE. 



PATENTED 



LINCRUSTA WALL PANELING FOR OAK EFFECTS. 



TOO THE ART OF GRAINING. 

this is dry, water scumble with l)eer-water, umber and wash-leather and 
finally rub with waxed cloth. The chief dangers are: (i) getting grounds so 
dark that the graining color must either be very strong and opaque, or so 
light that the stipple effect shows little contrast or transparency; (2) cloudi- 
ness from uneven spreading and stippling; (3) painty effect from unequal or 
too clean wiping off of the oil scumble. As the work proceeds it must be 
watched from the floor; the staging height will not reveal these troubles. 
In the design marked No. 121 I have made handsome ceilings of carved oak 
with the panels marked A in either old blue or sage green Morocco leather 
and the intervening beading gilded. The panels are done the last thing as 
we only have to "cut up" once; make the color like thin paste, using dry 
pigments, turps, japan and enough oil to give an egg-shell gloss; paint in 
with large fitch and stipple coarsely with a small round bristle paint tool. 
This Morocco leather is an excellent and cheap thing for any recessed wood 
paneling and forms a splendid ground for gilding on, in effects of stamped 
and ornamented leather. 

In putting in opaque colors on parts of a design we may often make a 
stencil of Anaglj^pta and thus execute contrasting effects very cheaply. 
The material must of course be well oiled and cut just as we prepare stencil 
paper; but the stenciling need not be clean and sharp since a final water 
scumble will soften the edge of the two tones. This stencil method comes 
more useful for decorating the thinner wall fillings in old leather and metal 
imitations. The colors of old leather are much akin to the woods, but the 
leather water scumble must be black, and a generous quantity of it must 
remain in the recesses of the design. Again, all leather effects must be 
finally wax rubbed to get the right gloss. 

In imitating tiles and majolica, the ground color must be white or cream. 
Upon this use oil scumble of transparent pigments, such as Prussian blue, 
the siennas, umbers, etc., wiped as in wood colors. Then varnish with a 
light, high gloss copal, and finally water scumble with black. In Lignomur 
I have made good tiled dados by oil scumbling directly on the absorbent 
material and wiping, then finishing with white shellac — two simple processes. 

I have a panel of the Anaglypta renaissance dado No. 84 in my office, 
which no visitor, whether lay or professional, has failed to greatly admire. 
It is a rich harmony of majolica in transparent broken tones of blues, greens 
and siennas, the heavy black water scumble in the recesses giving it much 
of its charm. 

Coming to metals, all Japanese leathers and relief materials are treated 
with a specially made white metal and then lacquered to any tone of gold 
color. Silver leaf quickly tarnishes and is never used. In the Anaglypta 
factory, where a large staff of men and women are employed decorating for 
the trade, there is a machine which metals twelve yards at a time. The 
metal is specially made in rolls like wall paper; the surface is first prepared 
and sized with white "coach japan" gold size and the machine does the rest. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



lOl 



DADO. 



No. 1090. 



Pattern— WOOD DIAPER. 




P.-^TENTED. 



LINCRUSTA DADO FOR OAK EFFECTS. 



I02 THE ART OF GRAINING. 



For decorators' ordinary use this white metal is put into books like gold 
leaf; both metal and lacquers are extensively sold to decorators by the Cor- 
delova company. Bronze powders may be safely used providing the quality 
of bronze is Ai, and it is either mixed with white shellac or coated with a 
clear lacquer afterwards. Water scumbles may be made from all dry pig- 
ments of good quality with fuller's earth and beer wash — the greens wheu 
used in this way over bronze metal treatments giving a very realistic touch 
to them. In metal effects three shades of gold lacquer are generally used, 
from the bright lemon to the deep "old Italian" tone. Whenever possible 
decorate these materials upon the bench. Have a paint brush to convey the 
color to the surface, but for spreading and distribution use the flat shoe 
brush. When the joints have to be imperceptible the decoration must be 
done on the wall, after joints are puttied; but in imitation leathers the joint 
is no eyesore, as the real thing would be so, or much worse. In any case 
give the final touches and water scumble after being hung in place. 

With these hints and ideas before him, the practical man will now be 
well equipped for any imitative demands that may be made upon him; 
whilst the short chapter of tried and proven receipts will prove invaluable to 
those decorators who prefer their own brand to that of the "ready -mixed." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

POI.ISHING AND VARNISHING IMITATIONS OP WOODS. 

POLISHING and varnishing are two processes which, when applied to 
furniture and woodwork, cover the whole range of finished surfaces. 
Although both the words "varnish'' and "polish" seem inseparable 
from a high gloss and smoothness of texture, they are as commonly used to 
express the opposite, such as "flatting varnish" or a "dull polish." Butthe 
term "polishing," when applied to hardwood, may refer to two methods of 
obtaining an agreeable finish, which have very little in common, namely, 
"French polishing" and "friction polishing" — if one may so term the latter 
rubbing process. 

A good varnisher or polisher of woods must bring to bear upon his work 
faculties of care, patience and intelligence of no mean order. In Europe, 
the polisher's craft is a separate and distinct vocation, and his work rarely 
takes him outside the scope of French polishing, i. e. , alcoholic varnishes 
applied with a wad or ' 'rubber. ' ' Varnishing, by which we imply a brush- 
spreading process, is a term commonly applied to work coming under the 
management of the house painter, whose varnishes are of an entirely different 
nature to those of the European "polisher." 

Now, the whole subject of finishing hardwood or wood-imitated surfaces 
is one of first importance to the American painter and grainer. Difficulties 
are ever arising in his every-da}' operations, often with costly and worrying 
consequences, which in many cases might have been avoided by a better 
knowledge of the work and materials. In this country hardwood finish is 
commonly interpreted as involving the three processes of "filling," "varnish- 
ing" and "rubbing;" and whilst I shall occupy the greater portion of this 
chapter with matter bearing upon that method, I am hopeful that a jcsiune 
of the other best known finishes will be of some practical use as well as of 
interest to the reader. 

Varnish is a generic term implying a liquid composed of some gum and 
its solvent. This liquid is spread upon the face of the work and when dry 
forms a translucent film thereon. To this extent we may say that every 
source of applied gloss or polish is a varnish — whether prepared from gum, 
wax, linseed oil, turpentine or alcohol. But now we must distinguish between 
them. For the present purpose, all varnishes may be considered in three 
classes; expressed oil vaniishes, volatile oil varnishes and spirit varnishes. 
Some idea of their component parts is conveyed by these names; whilst the 
commoner trade distinctions of copal, mastic and shellac varnish respectively 



L 



104- THE ART OF GRAINING. 

are often used, which words refer to the i^uni in place of the liquid solvent. 
Expressed oil varnishes, such as copal oil, are the best and most service- 
able in connection with hardwood and graining. They are prepared by- 
dissolving copal gum at a great heat, which gum is converted by turpentine 
into a liquid form and then thoroughly amalgamated with linseed oil. It 
would be useless here to elaborate on the process of manufacture; since, for 
whatever purpose oil varnish is required, it is most unwise for a painter and 
novice to attempt to make his own. Thirty or so years ago, when a painter's 
apprenticeship included an initiation into the process of boiling oil, making 
japatnier's gold size, etc., the price of varnish was so high as to excuse the 
painter's effort of trying to make his own. Today keen competition has 
reduced varnish-making to the level of conunon profits and the experiment 
would prove a much more costly waste of time and materials than in the old 
days. My motive in considering the component parts of varnish is solely 
with a view to their more intelligent use by the painter. Copal varnish 
varies from alight amber to a dark, rich, brown tone, depending chiefly upon 
the whiteness of the copal gum. Maiuifacturers usually purchase the gimis 
by the "parcel," containing copal of varying degrees of transparency. The 
lightest copal is usually the scarcest and consequently^ a genuine light copal 
varnish is an expensive product. The linseed oil, its quality and color, is 
equall}' of great importance with the copal; and I have been told upon 
excellent authority that the celebrated virtues of an English varnish, made 
by a firm whose goods are largely used in this country, are due to the fact of 
their employing only cold-drawai 1 inseed oil in its manufacture. However, 
the main question of varnish buj-ing is price; and when the painter under- 
stands the value of the manufacturer's raw materials, be it copal gum or 
Carolina resin, he is more likely to pay a fair price for an "honest" varnish 
and to get it. 

It would scarcely be expedient for me to discviss herein the relative 
values of specific ^•arnish-makers' goods, whether of domestic or English 
manufacture. The custom adopted by many manufacturers of giving their 
goods all kinds of fancy and misleading names is much to be deplored — 
although so far as the trade is concerned, it really assists the master painter 
to determine what not to buy. No man should purchase varnish who cannot 
personally test its value in a practical manner; and since the whole range of 
values is readily defined according to the constituents of the product, we may 
readily determine what particular varnish to buy and what its fair value is. 
Varnish, .so called, which is prepared from conunon resin and which dries in 
about one hour and .sets before one can finish a four-panel door, may be a 
conunodity of some conunercial importance for selling, but it is really a dan- 
gerous product for any reputable painter to use. It seems to me that the 
reputable manufacturers must suffer the most by producing such rubbish — 
since all prices and qualities are degraded by so absurd a priced varnish. In 
this matter of value again, it is somewhat strange that many painters are 






THE ART OF GRAINING. 103 

prepared to pay high prices for imported varnish and yet object to giving the 
same for domestic goods. Although there can be no doubting this fact that 
age and experience are very important factors in the production of good 
varnish, there are many old established firms in this country who make as 
good vaniish as can be made; but they cannot produce, ripen and retail a 
first-class article at the price of a second-class one, as many buyers expect 
them to. Again, it must not be forgotten that both the average maker and 
his "drummer" have little, if any, practical knowledge of the most important 
points on any varnish — its working and wearing qualities. These qualities 
it is the buyer's province to determine for himself, and no other party can 
do it for him. In justice to maker and user I will now give a brief notice of 
necessary varieties in copal or oil varnishes and their fair approximate cost 
to the master painter. 

First in cost and quality we require a very pale varnish for all good 
tjitejiorwor'k, either for varnishing over light paint, or imitations of maple 
and satin wood and which, with the addition of specially fine ground pig- 
ments, will make a first-class interior enamel. Such a varnish should dry 
within eight hours and should lend itself to after polishing in the best 
manner. Its market value would be from $5 to $6 per gallon. 

Cheaper grades of interior varnish are made, equal in every respect to 
the above excepting in lightness of color. I have already explained why a 
light copal varnish is more costly than a darker one. For darker tones of 
paint and imitations of oak, walnut, etc., these cheaper grades are excellent; 
in many cases a darker varnish improves the color and mellowness of grain- 
ing and similar woody tones. They range in cost from $3 to $5 per gallon. 
Of the same value we often require an interior varnish for church seats, 
floors, etc., wdiich is made with special hardening qualities, since the ordinary 
interior varnish would soften up under the heat of the body. The foregoing 
cover the whole range of painters' requirements for inside work; w^hilst for 
outside and exposed surfaces we have a grade of copal goods identical in cost 
and color but prepared wntli a special view to withstanding the changes of 
temperature. Some painters that I have talked with have questioned 
whether there exists any material difference between the interior and exterior 
kinds. Although I do not profess to understand the intricacies of varnish- 
making, my practical experience of some twenty years points an affirmative 
reply to such questions in no hesitating terms. 

Passing on to the volatile oil varnishes, this is a variety that is unsuited 
for woodwork. They consist of softer gums, such as damar and mastic, 
which are dissolved readily in the volatile oil — turpentine. They are 
usually the whitest varnish made and are employed for varnishing wall 
papers, maps, paintings, etc. English Bath varnish is also of this volatile 
variety but is prepared from harder gums. All this class dry by evaporation 
of the turpentine and therefore set quickly. The damar varnishes cost 
about $3 per gallon, but the white hard Bath varnish is worth at least double 
that sum. 



io6 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

We have now the third variety of varnishes to consider — spirit varnishes', 
and under this heading come innumerable preparations of orange and white 
shellac, benzoin and many other gum resins. The solvents are true spirits, 
such as alcohol, naphtha and benzine. In this connection it is well to recog- 
nize that painter's turpentine is not a spirit, since it will not entirely 
evaporate and naturally contains a certain quantity of resin. In Europe 
many of these spirit varnishes are distinguished as "White Hard Spirit Var- 
nish," "Dark Hard Spirit Varnish;" and a thinner variety, usually prepared 
by the polisher for his own professional use, is known as French Polish. 
These spirit varnishes appear to closely correspond with the "white shellac" 
and "orange shellac" of American commerce — although I am inclined from 
practical experience to consider the former as manufactured with more care, 
perhaps because their consumption is on a much smaller scale. The use of 
lac varnish is of great antiquity amongst Oriental nations. Shellac can only 
be used by dissolving in alcoholic spirits, and it has unique and particular 
qualities which render it invaluable for polishing and varnishing furniture 
and other woodwork not exposed to the atmosphere. The Japs are credited 
with powers of using lac quite beyond our ken, such as varnishing a ship's 
bottom and a cooking vessel with its preparations. How far shellac is suit- 
able for exterior hardwood finish I will discuss further on. 

Assuming that we are now sufficiently familiar with the simple elements 
of all commercial varnishes, we will proceed to consider their everyday use 
and application. 

Hardwood finish, as before noted, is a process usually consisting of 
filling, varnishing and rubbing to a dull polish; and it may be profitable to 
examine these details carefully. A "filler" is usually something that inter- 
venes between the varnish and the wood. We know that the application of 
oil to any absorbent surface darkens it — whether the surface be wood, 
textile or paper. To all intents and purposes ordinary glue size is a filler, and 
a very useful filler for some purposes but scarcely for hard wood. The 
proper filling of hard woods, however, involves not only the intervention of 
a transparent film but an actual filling up of the open pores of the wood grain 
with some substance. In some hardwoods, fine mahogany, black walnut, 
and cherr}^, for instance, the open pores are much less in evidence than in 
oak or ash, hence less material filling is necessary. In considering interior 
finish, our aim must be to get a level and polished surface at the smallest 
consumption of labor and material, since durability is not likely to trouble 
us, as with outdoor exposed surfaces. 

The trade in fillers in the United States is one of great magnitude and I 
suppose will continue so until the national supplies of hard wood become 
depleted, when painted and grained interior wood finish will come to gladden 
our hearts. For the great bulk of commercial pine wood finish, doubtless 
the fillers or sizings are indispensable to the painter. This class of wood 
finish is simply a commercial matter of spreading a stain, then a filling and 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 107 

lastly the hard oil finish, so called — usually a preparation of common resin 
and volatile oil costing the painter from $1 to $2 a gallon, really worth 
about 75 cents. 

The most simple finish is probably also the most antique — viz., oil pol- 
ishing. This consists of well oiling the surface with pure linseed (some 
advocating its use hot) until it has absorbed all it can, after which the polish 
is obtained by continued and repeated rubbing, where possible using a 
padded block. Such was the way the old baronial hall and castle oak doors 
were treated in Europe in mediaeval days, as indeed they are now in parts 
of Germany, Poland and Austria where labor is still of little value. In this 
method the wood cells are filled with and the whole surface protected by the 
natural film of the oxidized oil — the most durable and permanent protection 
the painter can produce. The large pores of the wood are not filled and 
although the want of smoothness would be a modern eyesore, it is without 
doubt the most natural, truthful and artistic finish of any beautifully figured 
wood. 

Next to oil polish in simplicity, and probably just as ancient, is the wax 
polishing method, than which, even today, there is no better finish for floors. 
Beeswax is shredded up fine with a knife and dissolved in turpentine by hot 
water for safety, just as by the old-fashioned glue-pot. The working con- 
sistency is about that of stifi* paste or soft soap, and it must be rubbed on 
sparingly with a flannel pad. The wax is a filler also, and the aim should 
be to rub as much as possible i7ito the wood and put as little as possible on 
the surface. When once properly waxed, floors and furniture require but 
occasional polishing. This is done with hard bristle brushes of varying 
shapes and sizes. In the above named European countries the floor polish- 
ing is part of the duties of the men servants. They have a flat brush 
which is slipped on over the boot; and the polisher balances himself on one 
foot and works on the floor — with an action something between a scrub and 
a surface kick — with his other harnessed extremity. When his leg tires he 
"changes feet," and although such work would prove very laborious to a 
novice, there is perhaps more in knack and practice than in muscular 
strength. These floors are the perfection of polish and slipperiness. In 
England and parts of this country, hardwood floors are treated similarly, but 
the polishing is usually done with a large flat brush, about 8 inches by 12, 
affixed slantways to a long handle and weighted with about 50 pounds of 
metallic lead. The weight of the implement suffices to polish; the "brush 
hand" only requires to push it backwards and forwards. Even this sim- 
plicity does not make it a very charming kind of work — having in my 
apprenticeship days "been there" occasionally, I write whereof I know. 

Inasmuch as floor finish is an important item of our calling, the master 
painter must not overlook the virtues of wax polishing. If there is no 
objection to darkening the wood slightly, first rub it over with raw oil; let 
it stand not less than 24 hours for a bare oiling with rag; the more 



k 



io8 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

oil applied the longer must be the inten-al before waxing and polishing. If 
nothing else can be obtained, a good hard shoe brush or scrubbing brush 
will bring up the polish if worked with plenty of elbow grease. Floors so 
treated can be cleaned oflf when dirty, with turpentine and re-waxed. If the 
wood cannot be oiled or if a speedy finish is desired, first prime with dilute 
shellac varnish and then proceed with the waxing. These directions will 
cover all other woodwork or furniture. 

Shellac is doubtless the most popular finish in this country and justly 
so for interior work. It is easily managed and renovated and has no injuri- 
ous after effect upon the color and grain of the wood. For cherry we can 
get a good finish with three coats of orange shellac, the first thinned down 
and used as a surfacer. Then rub down lightly with the finest polishing 
paper, give two full coats of shellac, and dull polish with oil and fine pumice 
powder. For filling such work, where paste filler is necessary I think the 
simplest thing is ths best. Take, for instance, a little of either gilders' 
bolted whiting, silver white or any of the colored powder fillers and make to 
the right consistency with turps, enough japan to bind the substance and 
just enough oil to enable us to work it. Spread it with a soft brush; then 
draw off the surplus with a painter's broad knife, and finally clean off care- 
full}' with a soft rag or old cloth. I believe in first barely priming with raw 
oil, if time and the darkening of oil will allow it. If no oil, then first the 
thin surfacing of shellac before filling, as the filler will hold in position much 
better for sandpapering than if applied first. The filler must of course be 
tinted with oil pigments to match the wood, and if it is properly mixed, the 
finishing coats will stand out nicely. 

Although plaster of paris tinted with dry pigment is used as a filler to a 
considerable extent with furniture finish in Britain, it is scarcely suitable for 
house work. The use of water would not affect wood already surfaced with 
oil or shellac, yet the plaster when dr}' would be absorbent and not capable 
of the simple finish as when filled with a filler of the above kind. After fill- 
ing, interior work may be finished with two coats "interior oil" varnish; 
but this is more costly, or should be, as nothing but a good body varnish 
can be used and this again is much harder to rub and polish than shellac. 

For outdoor finish, such as front doors, my experience and convictions 
are for good copal varnish — "first, last and all the time" — to use an 
expressive phrase. I believe a pine door, properly gotten up in white lead 
paint, grained and varnished with a first-class outside or carriage copal is 
the most durable finish for front doors in this country as in Great Britain. 
Second to that, I believe in a body of varnish alone. If possible, let the 
door be well oiled with a rag before being filled; otherwise give the work a 
priming rubber of shellac with a touch of oil on the rag to make it workable; 
fill as before directed, polish with paper and then varnish. Then dull down 
with fine emery cloth and pumice, and varnish again. Shellac is certainly 
not a good thing to body up a front door with— i. e., shellac as we buy it 



THE ART OF GRAINING. log 

ready for use. There is too much resin in its composition, either for exter- 
nal body or finishing. An experienced friend of mine has advocated 
finishing interior oak grained doors by shellacing them, and external oil 
graining without any varnish whatever. Whilst there is something to be 
said from his standpoint, it is not one that does justice to the painter and 
grainer. Graining that is not worth preserving with the best varnishes isn't 
worth doing at all, and since oak without overgraining is rather pDor paint- 
ing, I fail to see how varnish can be dispensed with. A well grained door 
that has been properly prepared and painted, looks nothing until varnished; 
but when it isn't so treated the varnish makes it a hideous object. So much 
grainer's work is mutilated today by bad painting, etc., that probably my 
friend is not altogether wrong. But on the point of durability as well as 
beauty, I uphold varnish — i. e., the right sort. If japanned goods, terra 
cotta pottery, etc., can be painted and varnished and then fired in a kiln, 
why shouldn't varnish stand the extremes of any climate? Why don't car- 
riage tops blister? Because they are properly prepared and painted and 
because they are finished with genuine copal oil varnish. 

As to patent fillers, I have little to say in their favor; i. e., of those 
which attempt to do the impossible — fill a hole with a liquid coating. 
They answer well enough for cheap work; but any master painter whose 
business and reputation is builded up and sustained by what he does, should 
use nothing which he does not understand. Faith healing may work all 
right with patent Sarsaparilla pills; but alas! when it comes to paint and 
painters' work, doctoring is a matter of hard facts. Let us remember that 
the ounce of prevention is better than the ton of cure; let us understand 
what we are doing and why. Finally, let us be willing to give that which 
we ask from others, a fair price for fair value given. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
"patent and mechanicai. aids and tools for imitating woods." 

FROM the time that painted woods and marbles first attained to any 
important position amongst decorative and preservative processes, 
there has been a continuous efifort of inventive faculty either to entirely 
supplant hard work or else to cheapen it by various ' ' patented ' ' methods 
and appliances. How far these different introductions have proved a success 
is a query which we can only answer in an indirect manner. Graining 
today has become more a commercially important process than an imitative 
art and handicraft ; therefore from the purely commercial standpoint, these 
cheapening aids and substitutes are a success. When, however, graining is 
introduced with a view of directly imitating and substituting, in color 
and decorative effect, the real wood, then we have a high standard of skill 
which no inventions or patents— nothing but the long practice, skill and 
enthusiasm of the master hand and mind working in unison, can satisfac- 
torily attain to. 

I am of the humble opinion that grainers, like poets, "are born." 
Most of us are aware, in these days, that the beautiful poem is just as much 
a creation of the dictionary and scholastic attainments as it is of poetic 
inspiration. So with regard to fine graining — study and continuous practice 
will v/ork miracles of success in any direction, but the most successful and 
enthusiastic grainers I have known in a wide and varied experience are, as 
it were, " to the manner born." They have certain mental faculties to which 
graining strongly appeals, and such men, if accident made them painters, 
would, of themselves, develop under fair conditions into skilled 
imitators. Apart from this aspect, however, I strongly believe that graining, 
of a good commercial standard, at least, should be part and parcel of every 
house painter's training and qualifications. One of the drawbacks to the 
greater use and popularity of graining in America today, lies in the difficulty 
and cost of getting it done. To give ordinary kitchens, wainscoting, etc., 
out to an expert trade grainer who expects, and justly so, to earn from $5 
to $10 a day, has this discouraging result — either the work costs the 
customer more than it is considered worth, or else the master painter is 
afraid to charge a fair profit on the grainer's bill. Therefore one feels that 
there should be no occasion for an expert's wages in "commercial graining." 
On the other hand, if a man of means has a dining-room finished in pine or 
cherry and he wishes to refurnish it throughout, artistically, in oak, here is 



THE ART OF GRAINING. in 

the place for employing the expert grainer, who will convert one wood into 
another — to all practical and artistic intents and purposes — at about one- 
fourth the outlay of making the real alteration in wood. Although, as I 
have expressed it, all fine grainers are " born," one does not wish to convey 
the idea that to such men long practice and study are superfluous. The 
late Charles Reade, author and dramatist of no mean repute, in his popular 
novel, "It's Never Too Late to Mend," gives us a very good idea of the 
educated public's idea of graining in general. Not only does he transform 
"Tom Robinson," the adventurer and gold miner, into an expert grainer 
during his prison incarceration, but he also endows Tom with the remarkable 
faculty and power of taking haphazard any Bathurst tradesman's shabby 
front door and converting it, right away, into a beautiful, finished specimen 
of oak or walnut. 

This kind of thing may "go" in a work of fiction, but no further. 
Grainers must all go through a practical course of study and training which 
alone can bring out the natural faculties of the expert imitator. The old 
system of apprenticeship wherein the young painter and decorator had 
tuition and practice in graining, lettering, etc., is comparatively non-existent. 
With the exception of a few excellent trade schools, nothing is now being 
done in America to discover and develop the fine grainers of the next 
generation. One of the best grainers in this country, that I am acquainted 
with, and he a comparatively young man, has no apprentices ; has had but 
one, I believe, so far during his career. That one is not, nor ever can be, 
an expert grainer, for the reason that the natural faculties for the work were 
not in him. It is, therefore a debatable point whether good can result from 
any lad being apprenticed to graining, wholly and solely, unless he has 
shown some decided p:eference for it and has previously qualified himself 
in good practical painting. Every grainer must first be a plain painter, and 
surely the right solution as to the future of fine graining can only be found 
by giving every painter lad, either by verbal or printed tuition, the chayice of 
becoming an expert imitator, and with the prospect, at least, of his being 
able to execute clean and presentable ' ' commercial ' ' graining. 

Any doubt as to the prevalence and importance of this commercial 
graining is rapidly dispelled when we consider the popularity and success of 
modern patent methods of imitating woods. The earliest of these was an 
effort to substitute the hand wiping out of "lights" and vein marks by a 
hand-roller. Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying illustration will explain 
their construction and mode of application; viz., a frame with wooden 
handle — similar to a paperhanger's roller — affixed to a revolving cylinder. 
The surface of the latter is covered with a prepared leather, the figure is 
drawn on its surface and then all the surrounding " field" is chased away, 
leaving the design in relief. In working, the roller is passed over the wet 
graining color, already spread, and the lights are taken out by the suction 
of the leather. This class of roller was used for oak and similar imitations. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



For imitating Spanish mahogany, the process is sHghtly varied. The roller 
is identical in shape with the paperhanger's roller ; the pattern is embossed 
on a panel, as it were, of leather, which is attached to the roller at one end 
only. The leather is wound around the roller ; and, commencing at the top, 
the worker cares for the loose end of the leather with his left hand, whilst 
the right hand works the roller ; see Fig. 7. These rollers are known as 




"Bellamy's" Patent, and are made both for imitating woods and marbles, 
by a Mr. J. F. Bellamy, of London. I have seen in print, the name of 
Kershaw associated with Mr. Bellamy as the patentee. Since there is but 
one holder of that name of any importance, viz., Thomas Kershaw, the 
grainer and decorator of forty years ago, in England, whose work has seldom 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 113 

been equalled and never excelled, it seems strange that such a mechanical 
patent should have been anything but an abhorrence to him. When we 
consider how much irreparable injury has resulted from the absurd applica- 
tion of such "graining," by women and children, to sheet iron foot baths, 
water cans, trunks and similar articles of common household use, it seems 
hard to believe that one who did so much to elevate our calling in Britain 
should have been associated with this mis-application of talent. 

Compared with later American roller patents, however, that of Bellamy's 
appears very simple. The former embrace methods of printing on surfaces 
with a flexible rubber pad, after the manner of a rubber letter stamp ; of 
rubber rollers having pattern in relief and working upon similar lines to 
Bellamy's, save that the latter is only adapted to water graining, whilst the 
rubber enables oil color to be used. Then there is a method of transferring 
color impressions taken direct from real wood on a rubber surface and rolled 
on to the paint — after the old system of copper plate printing. All these 
methods testify very strongly to the usefulness of grained surfaces. Its 
application to cheap pails and wooden utensils, which receive hard usage 
and handling even before they reach the purchaser's hands, suggests that 
experience determined a figured surface wears and retains its commercial 
appearance longer than any plain color or other effect. All of these 
processes were undoubtedly prepared with a view to factory made furniture, 
etc. , and therefore they have little interest to the house painter. 

Passing from rollers and cylinders as a main factor we have next a series 
of inventions for graining by the use of paper. Two distinct ideas have been 
worked out in this line, one known as transfer paper, a self explanatory 
term; the other termed " Gransorbian," or EngHsh graining paper, 
whereby thick paper of a very absorbent nature was manipulated to answer 
the same purpose as Bellamy's mahogany leather panel. Both of these two 
patents were introduced with the idea of entirely substituting hand graining ; 
both have met with a certain amount of success, although I believe Gran- 
sorbian has proved a financial failure, and has been discontinued for some 
few years. 

In regard to the transfer patents, which have been applied to both oil 
and water graining, there can be no doubt that they fill a decided gap in the 
house-painting trades of America today— a gap, as before considered, 
arising from the general inability of a house painter to execute simple 
graining. Under no circumstances, however, can these printing methods be 
taken as equal to hand graining even of the "commercial" standard. 
Nevertheless they have doubtless helped many a struggling painter through 
with a job which he otherwise could never have undertaken ; and for this 
reason we must not speak unkindly of them. Turning to Gransorbian, I 
well remember the editor of a leading English trade paper once wrote of it 
that "it was likely to create a practical revolution in the whol'^ process of 
graining." This opinion, however, being published simultaneously with 



114. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



the appearance of a whole page ad. was doubtless highly colored, uncon- 
sciously of course, by the sight of the latter. Anyhow, it gradually faded 
away from the pages of that trade paper, from sight and from the mind of 
our trade generally in England. Gransorbian had one special merit and 
that, the wide selection of figure it placed at the user's command. It was 
credited with being capable of serving from twelve to sixteen times on oil 
graining, and from sixteen to twenty times with water graining before the 
relief surface lost its power of absorbing the figure from the color-spread 
surface. It was made in fourteen varieties of woods. In use, the paper 




callow's patent graining plates in use. 
was cut to size of panel or lock-rail, placed carefully in position, and then 
brought into contact by passing a small roller over it. The color was first 
spread and combed in the usual way, and it was recommended that plain 
combing alone be worked on the perpendicular stiles. In Figs. 8 and 9 I 
reproduce samples of Gransorbian figured oak. The long piece represents 
a repeat 78 inches by 24 inches. This cut into three, as indicated, gives 
some 20 feet of running " sap" oak — as it is called in Britain — and it is 
interesting and useful in this little book to the student for practicing the 
growth and arrangement of ' ' heart ' ' oak figure. Fig. 8 is an example of 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 115 

Gransorbian in quartered oak, also useful as representing a panel of natural 
looking and well balanced champs. 

We have now before us in the adjacent illustration an example of 
another graining invention. In this the patentee has adapted the ancient 
process of stencilling to that of wood imitations ; saving that instead of the 
color being stencilled on, it is stencilled off. This patent is essentially 
American and, like most American notions, it "gets thar." Mr. Callow, 
the inventor, is evidently an experienced grainer himself, judging by his 
pamphlet ot instructions for graining with his plates. Were I asked which 
one, of all graining patents so far produced, is the most practical and 
serviceable to the house-painting trade of America, I should unhesitatingly 
select this one. I do not fully endorse all the inventor says and claims for 
his process in every little detail. I do not think any grainer of average 
ability could do a door quicker with stencils than by the proper method ; 
nor do I think it wisdom to use boiled oil in place of pure " honest linseed " 
for graining color. Stencil-plate graining can never equal the fine work of 
the expert, even if an expert use the plates — probably Mr. Callow neither 
wishes nor cares that it should. He has seen the opportunity and has 
seized it. American machinery and appliances have enabled the inventor to 
put his ideas on the market in a practical and economical form ; and so long 
as the average house painter's abilities do not include commercial graining, 
Mr. Callow's process appears to be the best substitute — best with regard to 
effect, the trade's reputation and value for money. One can but wish the 
inventor a good financial harvest while the present conditions last, and at 
the same time hope that the next generation of painters will be able to do 
better graining without stencils. 

So far we have been discussing those patent ideas in wood imitations 
which the expert grainer would turn from in contempt or derision. Now 
we have a few items which are considered valuable and legitimate aids to 
the hand worker. 

Although we usually associate fine graining with the quality of free- 
hand work, even the grainer would come badly off without his combs. Figs. 
I and 2 illustrate a patent roller comb which very few expert, or " trade " 
grainers care to be without after once using it. Notwithstanding this 
English patent has been in existence for some twenty years, I am sure that 
there are many in the trade who are unacquainted with it. The rollers, as 
now constructed, have iron handles, between the extreme sides of which a 
small roller, or axle, is fixed and the metal discs revolve loosely and inde- 
pendently upon it. The discs are of sheet zinc, stamped out and the edges 
afterwards notched to make a series of short, fine lines. 

I have known many grainers to make their own combing rollers, and 
have seen attempts to use leather discs ; but like most modern tools — not 
" paints ' ' — the factory-manufactured article is usually the cheapest and often 
better than the individual product. Fig. i shows a full set of these tools of 



Ii6 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

varying widths, and the feeding brush which charges the discs as they 
revolve. Fig. 3 illustrates the feeding brush, and Fig. 4 a partly worn 
painter's tool which many grainers use with the small-sized rollers. I have 
in earlier chapters explained how steel and leather combs are manipulated 
in order to obtain the effect of those dark pores we see in real oak and some 
other woods, the combs being used before the champs, or lights, are wiped 
out. When using rollers, the method is reversed. In the first place our 
graining color can be used thinner and without excess of dryer (excess of 
anythbig is bad) or without the introduction of any megilping factor to hold 
the color in place after combing. With the roller-process we carefully 
spread the color, wipe out figure and then let dry. Then overgrain or 
shade in water color and finally roll on the grain or pores in oil graining 
color, usually quick-drying burnt umber. Where the dark pores run on the 
wiped champs they must be gently and cleanly wiped off ; if work has to be 
overgrained and varnished at once, water color can be used for rolling. It 
must, however, be remembered that water color pores could not be removed 
so readily from the lights, there being some risk of also disturbing the water 
" shading " or overgrain. 

In working the roller, the feeding brush is first charged and then placed 
against the roller with the left hand, where the metal attachment holds it. 
The right hand holds the roller, the left still on the feeding brush, and the 
discs are caused to travel 2ip the panel from bottom to top with slight but 
steady pressure. A useful roller is one 2 inches wide and for which the 
worn-in paint tool can be used. After rolling, the pores should be slightly 
softened lengthways with badger, or soft hog-hair tool. This takes the 
"hardness" off the printed line, and the difficulty of water-color pores 
drying before they can be softened is another reason why oil-color is used. 
The rolling must be done cleanly and running regularly with the grain of 
the wood. Although an English patent (the invention of Mr. William 
Jones, of Manchester, England, an expert grainer of the "old school") and 
probably only manufactured there, these tools can be obtained in America 
from a well-known New York dealer. 

The process of graining woods with dry-color crayons is, I believe, much 
in vogue in the western states. Although I have some knowledge and 
experience of the use of colored crayons in painted imitations of marbles, 
their application to woods, and oak especially, is, I believe, entirely foreign 
to most British grainers. The use of crayon for imitating oak would appear 
especially strange to the latter, whose main and almost sole idea of grained 
oak is the quartered variety. When, however, one sees how large a 
part "heart " of oak or " sap," as the Britisher terms it, plays in American 
furniture, one can also understand that sap graining should also be more in 
vogue here. Although I have never yet met an expert grainer whose idea 
of the beautiful exalted the sap figure over the quartered, there are probably 
customers as well as grainers who prefer tbeir oak-grained door to be 



THE ART OF GRAINING. iiy 



fashioned after the likeness of their real oak furniture. Under such circum- 
stances, the grainer's crayon becomes a very valuable product, and one can 
understand the success of so excellent an article as that made by Collins Bros. 

For graining in water color they are invaluable ; and rapid but excellent 
imitations of walnut, cherry, rosewood and heart of oak can be executed and 
varnished atone "journey." The method of working in oil is equally 
simple and effective for wainscots, baseboards, etc. Whilst the makers have 
the good sense not to decry or minimize the value of quartered oak graining, 
wherein the lights must be take?i out, one can understand how crayon work 
is so popular, and especially in districts where graining is done not for 
imitation but for pure utility. Having personally tried and experimented 
with the crayons of the above make, one has pleasure in giving passing 
testimony to their merits. 

Coming in close connection with crayons are the wood crayon pencils. 
These are used for working up fine knotted, or Italian, walnut ; for the fine 
veining, or overgrain, of bird's-eye maple ; for outlining inlays, etc. Whilst 
they are capable of doing quickly, in a competent grainer's hands, work 
which would take much longer if done with the fine sable, it is but right to 
give one's opinion that for the finest and best imitations no pencil lines can 
compete with the freedom and delicacy of a sable hair touch. 

Having brought to the notice of the student all these modern appliances 
and mechanical methods, the question may come to his mind, Is it worth 
the time and struggle to acquire skillfulness in hand graining, seeing that so 
much of the former "goes" with the public today? In answer to such, 
one would inquire whether the production of millions of chromo-lithographs, 
mock etchings, etc., has depreciated the value of artistic pictorial work. 
Surely not ! Moreover, let us remember that when hard woods become too 
scarce for common house interiors, then the beauty of the imitation as well 
as of the genuine thing will be more fully realized by the American public ; 
and those times are surely, if slowly, approaching. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

ART AND HANDICRAFT — GRAINING IN THE I.IGHT OE MODERN PROGRESS. 
JOHN RUSKIN AND HIS HOUSE-PAINTER CRITICS. 

IN the opening chapter of this practical treatise, I made some reference to 
the crusade against sham in general, and painted imitations of woods 
and marbles in particular, inaugurated by that eminent English author 
and critic, John Ruskin. Since my introductory graining paper was written 
and first published, the subject of the status and art morality of painted 
woods and marbles has again gone the round of many trade and amateur 
publications. The same old biased views on graining have been presented 
by editors and unprofessional waiters; whilst, on the other side, the practical 
painter and grainer appears just as ignorant and abusive of Ruskin and his 
work as the former was twenty years ago. 

It may be queried, Is John Ruskin and the warfare he has waged from 
the issue of his famous "Modern Painters," now over fifty years ago, a topic 
of genuine interest to the practical grainer and decorator? I would answer, 
most emphatically. Yes. However little the discussion may attract the 
grainer personally , he must be familiar with the points and principles involved, 
ready to explain or to respectfully defend his position as a skilled imitator, 
if only from the outlook of a bread-winner. 

I do not ask the grainer and student to follow me herein through the old 
and well-worn controversy for the purpose of airing one's own version of the 
truth about art and graining. I would rather he thought out and studied it 
for himself. Certainly John Ruskin, the artist, the poet, the author and 
critic, whose works are for all time, needs no painter scribe to champion his 
cause. Quite recently a body of master painters in this country were 
instructed that the literary works of Ruskin stand monuments of his 
ignorance and inconsistency, and that their author is, briefly, "an ass." 
The social and intellectual position of the master painter is, and ever has 
been and will be, that of his own making; and whilst one feels profoundly 
moved to pity for those who, by their silence, meekly endorsed the above 
remark, its public utterance is surely a matter of humiliation to the craft at 
large, and ample justification for this article. 

The question whether the grainer is an artist and his results "art work" 
is one which would doubtless have given Ruskin very little concern had he 
written in the "nineties" instead of the forties" and "fifties" of the present 
century. Strange, is it not, that the age which can produce so little, 
comparatively, finely painted imitations, should be so zealous concerning its 



THE ART OF GRAINING. iig 

Status? But the fact remains; and since, moreover, in other directions our 
crai't has repeatedly been instructed that art, all visual art in fact, "is 
imitation," it may be well to first recognize the pure gem before we discuss 
its shams. 

Of all simple-looking words in the English tongue, surely the mono- 
syllable, "art" is open to the most diverse, indefinite and complex 
interpretations. Ask any two intelligent and fairly educated persons for an 
explanation — ask even two skilled master painters or grainers — and how 
dissimilar or uncertain the replies. One may reply that art is in painting, 
literature, music, sculpture — in brief, that art is the factor of beauty and 
excellence which, by its presence, exalts any aesthetic phase of human 
activity far above the level of simple labor. Another person will perchance 
make answer that there are many varieties of art, such as the art of painting, 
the art of music, the art of carving, drawing, and, to make this issue still 
more clear, I shall be equally safe in adding, the arts of the photographer, 
the lithographer and the grainer. But the very Catholicism and range of 
such a list offends one's higher sense and consciousness of the eternal truth 
and fitness of things. Can we affirm that the difference between an Alma 
Tadema painting and a carefully ' 'marbled' ' vestibule wall is but one of 
degree? Or, again, may we consider the photographer who copies, i. e., 
"imitates" in other material, an "old master's" oil painting thereupon, to 
take unto himself the genius of the painter? Certainly not, in neither case, 
since, however good the imitation may be, it can never take rank with the 
original creation. 

The popular interpretation of art is excellence of execution or of imitation. 
Like many other popular impressions, this is far from being correct. For 
instance, because at harvest time the voice of nature conveys to us sentiments 
of a Creator's power, his love and his gracious providence, does it hold good 
that a pictorial representation of one such scene must perforce reflect these 
sentiments to us similarly? Will the solemn grandeur of the eternally snow- 
clad mountain peak or the smiling voice of returning spring be equally the 
attribute of a faithful pictorial transcript? Such thoughts bring their own 
ready decisions, for if art be indeed but imitation or reproduction, then the 
instantaneous photograph must be greater and truer art than any etching or 
mezzotint produced by imperfect, because human, handiwork. And beyond 
this, can Science but perfect her w^ork and give us camera pictures of nature 
and humanity as correct in color as she already does in form, then the acme 
of such misnamed art will be attained; for pigment, brush and pencil will 
be as entirely superfluous as the handwork of the draftsmen. 

By such inverse process of reasoning, although the production of sun 
pictures in nature's coloring is much farther off than the popular idea can 
grasp, we are convinced that art is neither the imitation nor the reproduction. 
Art and science have little in common beyond their great mission as trans- 
lators of nature. Science deals with hard facts, taking nothing for granted 



T20 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

and assuming nothing, so testing and proving each stone that is added to its 
mighty structure of knowledge that time shall but season and strengthen it. 
But Art, on the other hand, does not concern herself with the exactness of 
reproductions and imitations, as such. The nearer to nature, i. e., the more 
purely deceptive the reproduction, the greater the sin against true art and 
true sense; and those who would honestly question this, must turn to the 
"life-like" wax- work figures of the museum and to the porcelain parrots and 
painted plaster dogs and cats for their art sustenance. 

Passing now from the main question of painted imitation to that of its 
executive excellence, how poor is the measure of truth that is possible; for 
neither in shade, color nor delineation can the landscape be reproduced. 
The pen and pencil can but imperfectly render light and shade; and when 
the painter gives us harmonious color also, then just in the measure that 
that color is exalted in his work, line and shade must be subordinated. 
No man, not even the genius, can serve all three masters, line, light and 
color; he cannot even serv^e two faithfully. In color alone, how indescibably 
poor do the pigments of his palette compare with the purity and brilliancy 
of nature's chromatic scales! Art, therefore, is not the measure of excellence 
in drawing, carving, coloring or engraving; neither is art dependent upon 
such factors. These are but the attributes, the evidences, of good crafts- 
manship. 

Art, as I honor it, as I have learned to know it under the guidance of 
our modern prophet and evangelist, John Ruskin, is a generic term of 
expressed soul. That which of itself has no shape nor any parts, but which 
may be made visible to our poor humanity through the genius, or, as 
Michael Angelo defined it, the "eternal patience," of the poet, the painter, 
the musician, the sculptor and so on. Let me strive to explain it in this 
way: There may be seen in the "fine art" publication stores of our great 
cities a large engraving of a well-known painting by Luke Fildes, R. A. 
The interior of a room in the typical English cottage is limned. In the 
foreground is a child's cot wherein lies, apparently "sick unto death," the 
"one little ewe lamb" of a poor laboring man. Seated by the bedside is a 
figure of matured and noble bearing, in whose hand lies the pulse of the 
little one, as with steadfast and immovable gaze the physician watches the 
turn of the crisis. Seated at a table in the shaded side of the room, with his 
liead pillowed, with despair, on his arms, we see the father, and, standing 
beside him, the wan and worn mother. And as we pause and look on this 
scene, one can read the whole story. We feel as if we had spent with them 
the long, weary vigil by lamplight; we see the first rays of the rising sun 
shining through the diamond lattice window upon the bowed form of the 
father, and we take it as a happy omen. We know 'tis but a picture and a 
fiction; yet it has^^?//. It has that which speaks straight out to our common 
humanity, and we feel that from this delineation of a domestic crisis, the 
world is the better. Our family joys and sorrows are aroused and endeared; 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 121 

the self-sacrifice and true nobility of this physician perchance symbolizes a 
still greater Physician; and we are encouraged to work and watch for the 
rising sun of bright days, for the one perpetual day. 

What says Ruskin on the nature of true art? A thousand sentences all 
forceful and poetic, of which this is one, "Remember, therefore, always, 
you have two characters in which all greatness of art consists: - First, the 
earnest and intense seizing of natural facts; then the ordering those facts by 
strength of human intellect so as to make them, for all who look upon them, 
to the utmost serviceable, memorable and beautiful. And thus great art is 
nothing else than the type of strong and noble life." 

Having now, so far as lies in me, defined true art by this quotation and 
my pictorial allusion, let us consider how far such imitative work as photog- 
raphy, graining, plaster-cast making, etc., can be considered as partaking of 
it. Referring to the quotation, it may be conceded that skilled graining 
illustrates the first characteristic, "the earnest and intense seizing of natural 
facts." But there the connection ceases; the grainer and marbler does not 
"order those facts by strength of human intellect;" he reproduces more or 
less accurately, according to his skill as a craftsman, but his own soul, his 
individuality, does not shine out in his work. Has any man had his ' 'heart 
strings' ' touched by a grained door or a marble panel? I fancy not. The 
only sentiment excellent workmanship can awaken is admiration for the 
quality of imitation. The highest praise it can merit is to pass for the 
impressionless, inanimate reality; for no sooner does man think to put some 
of his personality into imitations than he creates a lie and a falsity; he is 
merely setting up a stony idol of his own making. 

I have heard discussed and have often read interesting, but I believe 
erroneous, ideas concerning how much or how little a painted work of 
pictorial art can reflect the soul, or poetic inspiration, of the painter; and of 
how far a grained door can be identified with its producer. One very able 
English grainer and writer has written, "All art, of whatever kind, is 
imitative, and even in its highest walks the painter must still draw 
inspiration and form from some natural type; and it is a questionable point 
with us whether we do not, in nine cases out of ten, attribute sentiments 
and expressions to a representative picture, which the artist never dreampt 
of when he painted it." These able contentions are, I believe, erroneous 
in several respects. For instance: In a work oi art, the painter draws upon 
nature as a means to an end, and as the potter uses clay to make a vessel; 
whereas, to the grainer and marbler, the imitation, the lifeless clay, is the 
end in view. Again, any great work of art can rarely be limited to the 
expression of one great sentiment. It is rather like the oratorio of the tone 
artist, wherein is beautiful melody and powerful chorus, all combining to 
make up one grand theme, yet which, in its very working out, is full of 
truths and beauties which appeal to the individual with varying force. 

Then, as to a grainer's style or idiosyncrasies, we have these just in 



122 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

like manner and from the self same causes as are found in handwriting or 
in the way a man wears out his shoes. Such differences are but the 
unconscious and habitual expression of mind and matter, not the result of 
facts ordered by strength of human intellect, etc. 

Painted graining and marbling connot therefore be spoken and thought 
of as art in the same sense as art is possible in music, sculpture or paintings. 
To that extent, John Ruskin was and is irrefutably right. Granting this 
much, we can now take the other side of the question and endeavor to do 
justice to the use and practice of graining and marbling as a decorative and 
preservative handicraft. 

From the purely imitative standpoint, graining has far higher claims 
for respect and attention than the mere processes of drawing, painting and 
sculpture; since an expert craftsman can imitate the grain, the color and the 
actual surface and texture of wood or marble so that the imitation serves 
the full purpose of the original. If graining be not art, then surely it is the 
material personification of decorative utility. Utility is the imitator's 
justification. The use of real woods and marbles in modern buildings is due 
to their permanent nature and their color value. To build a noble entrance 
hall and staircase, with real marble floor, columns and stairway, and then to 
plaster the walls and finish them in painted colored marbles seems, however, 
a folly and an inconsistency. Yet this is actually the case with the Marble 
Hall and Grand Staircase in Buckingham Palace, and this kind of thing 
was being repeatedly done under the late Prince Consort in those very days 
when Ruskin in his prime wrote and spoke so bitterly. When he wrote this 
sentence, "The grainer must think of what he is doing with veritable 
attention and care; and occasionally considerable skill is consumed in the 
doing of a more absolute nothing than I can name in any other department 
of painful idleness," Ruskin had graining in mental comparison with true 
art, that which has expressed soul. And his position was justifiable. 
When, however, he wrote, "There is no meaner occupation for the human 
mind than the imitation of the stains and stride of wood and marble," and 
many more equally hard and caustic sentences, we are but reminded that 
even John Ruskin was not infallible; that 'twere unnatural for him to speak 
as one of the present transient age and generation, and impossible for him to 
consider graining from the decorator's utility aspect. He spoke and wrote 
of art as of the eternal, the true and unchangeable; and I believe no just 
and high-minded man could today view the above mentioned uplifting by 
royalty of the imitation fetish as worthy of greater honor than the natural 
and original, without feeling the prophet had reason for indignation. 

Since Ruskin's dictum went forth to the world, things have changed 
greatly. The truths of his teachings are universally acknowledged. Here 
and there mental pigmies, who know him not, nor can they realize the 
eternal truths and beauties of his art gospel, take delight in holding up the 
weak points and trivial errors in his books, just as may be done by the 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 123 

depraved reader of the greatest of all books, the Bible. Ruskin lashed the 
architect quite as much as the grainer, and, for the matter of that no author 
ever criticised his own early work so keenly and mercilessly as did he, for 
instance, the "Seven lyaraps of Architecture." (See preface to 1880 and 
1890 editions.) 

Our modern position in regard to graining and marbling has little 
concern with regard to Ruskin; it is with the architects, editors, amateurs 
and all such as affect art and who are under the impression that drawing and 
painting mean art. The architect is guilty of greater inconsistency in 
tolerating and in using sheet metal pressed into the similitude of tooled stone- 
work, carved ornament and structural paneling. If the grainer's be a 
negative offence, the architect is a very positive sinner in shams. The 
decorative color value of imitations, its use as a means to color effect and 
combination, can be justified in the house or the public hall at any time. 
The grainer is safe so long as his work is controlled by the decorator who 
uses various materials, textures and painted effects to express one dominant 
sentiment. 

Finally, the value of cultivating the faculty for drawing cannot be too 
generally recognized by painters of all kinds. In this matter, no man in 
modern years has done greater service to art and handicraft than Ruskin. 
But mere drawing is only a means of delineating and its value commercially 
and intellectually the same as penmanship — apart from soul, or individuality, 
no more nor no less. Musical theory will not alone produce tonal art, nor 
pencil and brush work an artist. 

It were wise that the modern painter and decorator, recognizing how 
seldom true Art comes within his possibilities, should comport himself with 
patience and humility towards her. And for the nation at large, one feels 
the great desideratum of modern life is a knowledge of the true and 
beautiful to take the place of art cant and affectation, to the end that the 
nutriment which today goes to the production of purposeless mediocrities on 
paper and canvas may be diverted into the thirsty channels of national 
applied art and craft work. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE MODERN DECORATIVE VALUE OF WOOD COLORS, WITH NOTES ON HAR- 
MONIOUS COMBINATION — SOME IMITATORS' PRACTICAL RECIPES. 

HARMONIOUS color is the all-important factor of modern decorative 
art, and the grainer who can bring to bear upon his imitations a 
knowledge of their color value as part and parcel of a harmonious 
color scheme, will have a legitimate claim to the title of artist. A feeling, 
or faculty, for good color will be developed in any grainer who has studied 
at the only good school, Dame Nature's. But this attainment which I term 
"good color," has usually no application beyond the actual tones and color 
values of his imitations; he is satisfied if his graining be good and natural 
color of itself, and he seldom considers the matter further. Much of the 
condemnation that graining has brought upon itself may be traced to two 
weaknesses; firstly (paradoxical as it may read), from its very strength and 
perfection of imitation, which has often assumed a degree of display 
altogether out of proportion to its value as a decorative and useful means to 
an artistic end. The second reason I have found many examples of in 
"high places" — the failure of proper color toning to the room in its entirety. 
There are many grainers who would scorn the idea of a layman or even a 
giainer knowing more about the desired color than he himself; but inasmuch 
as the grainer gives his mind so much to the natural and imitative idea, he 
is liable to overlook contrasting mass colors which the eye of a colorist at 
once. It is therefore well that the grainer should realize the artistic 
possibilities of grained color, to the end that he be not the slave but Ihe 
master of his own imitative faculties. 

The color of grained oak, even in good-class work, is usually but a 
question of light, medium or dark. If the work be natural in color, there 
are few decorative schemes with which it is discordant, I grant. But we 
cannot be satisfied with such a negative standard. How many distinct color 
effects, for instance, can be produced within the range of light oak? 
Probably a hundred, ranging from soft and mellow to brilliant, varying 
from warm to cool, all within the possibilities of polished natural color. 
Turning from oak to mahogany, we have a wood, to my thinking, where- 
with a wider range of color is possible and the grainer' s responsibility 
greater. No further argument is needed to uphold this contention, that the 
exact tone of grained imitations is of equal or greater importance than the 
tint of the ceiling or the exact tone of the walls. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 125 

To the everyday trade grainer or to the student striving to uphold the 
grand old standard of all- round skill in painting and decorating, there may 
seem little to encourage him in placing so much weight on his color. 
Perchance he gets a call to grain oak a front door grounded, forsooth, in one 
round coat with the same fatty, "lousy" aggregation of evils as the clap- 
boards have been covered with. Or maybe the color is medium chrome 
yellow or else a floor-cloth brown — anything save a smooth, opaque, nicely 
hardened ground of freshly mixed tinted, strained and properly spread 
paint. Under such conditions, graining is an impossibility; the workman 
loses enthusiasm, his standard of work gradually falls and his art and craft 

become to him but a question of " cents per yard, super." But there 

are times, as most of us have found, when that knowledge of color harmony 
(which, after all, like virtue, is its own recompense), has proved a source of 
strength and profit; the occasion has come for a good imitator, and great has 
been the satisfaction all round when the grainer, Ruskin notwithstanding, 
could "color" and could give the reasons for the faith within him. The 
difference between writing on graining and on harmonious color as related 
thereto, is a very wide one. The pages of The Western Painter make 
it possible for one to describe by illustration exactly how "heart of oak" 
may be wiped, and to show by photographic reproduction how wood imita- 
tions take an important share in modern interior decorations. In dealing 
with harmony of color, there is no link of certainty between author and 
reader; both may mean the same, but the written language of color has 
never yet progressed beyond the "vowel" signs. As a foundation for the 
grainer' s individual study, I give a list of the most familiar hardwoods, 
appending to each those contrasting mass colors which, singly or combined, 
will produce harmonious color schemes. 

HARD WOODS, NATURAL AND GRAINED, AND THE CONTRASTING MASS 
COLORS WHICH HARMONIZE WITH THEM. 

Light oak, with soft, warm greens, deep rich reds (neither pure nor 
. urplish), and peacock blues; gilding. 

Medium oak, with stronger and browner greens, richer reds and lighter 
and greener tones of blue. Deep gold. 

^^ Antique"^ or fumigated oak, with any or all of the old Gothic colors 
of sage green, deep peacock blue, saddened yellow and dull red; no tiyits 
other than ivory. Old Italian gold and bronzes. 

Maple wood and safinwood, with delicate greys, either silver, serial or 
indigo tinted, ivory tints of raw sienna and raw umber and subdued tints 
of old rose. Silver or gold metals. 

American Walnut, with rich, deep yellow or old gold, and old reds and 
blues into which the brown hue of the walnut distinctly enters. 

Cherry, with turquoise and greenish blues, preferably in draperies or 



126 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

mottled wall treatment, with olive browns and transparent yellows and 
metals. 

Mahogany , with rich, deep olive greens and all yellow tones from old 
gold to cinnamon brown. Soft neutral red tints to deep, pure pigments in 
tone with wood. Rich gold. 

White wood, with cool ivory and any light tints of ochre, Venetian red, 
green and blue which are toned with raw umber. 

Ebony, with all rich reds and yellows; with deep gold and ivory. 

Rosewood, with tones of empire green, soft old rose, old golds and ivory 
tints. 

There are a few sentences worth adding to the above: Always aim to 
have affinity of hue between mass contrasts; for instance, a decidedly warm 
or yellow-toned green with a decidedly yellow-toned oak, or a purplish, old, 
deep blue requires deep and purple-toned mahogany or cherry to obtain the 
best results. Then, in matters of depth or shade, try to make the wall 
color play, as it were, first fiddle; the less brilliancy wood color exhibits, the 
less criticism it will challenge as an imitation — and discretion was ever the 
better part of valor. 

In the accompaning illustration we have a photograph of a dining-room 
corner, giving ample evidence of its treatment upon artistic, yet unpreten- 
tious lines. Here we have a modern phase of imitative work, requiring all 
the technical knowledge, if not the executive skill, of the expert grainer. 
A dado in highly raised panel treatment is capped with a three-inch surbase 
molding, and the whole, from floor to molding, is in antique oak effect. 
Above this we have a specimen of the modern English school of wall paper 
design, in varying soft shades of warm green. At the top we have another 
three-rail, or picture molding, of antique oak, making an excellent base for 
a twelve-inch highly raised frieze in carved oak effects. Above the frieze 
comes a massive enriched cornice, originally of white plaster but now con- 
verted into a solid-looking ceiling frame of oak and gold. Next the ceiling 
we have a simply tooled margin of oak; then comes the wooden ceiling 
molding which forms the boundary to the paneled ceiling of Anaglpyta 
(No. 164) finished in an effect of carved oak with plain alternative panels ot 
dull red leather texture and these outlined with a fine beading of gold. 
The structural woodwork shows light oak color panels of incised design, 
the remainder stippled and bright varnished in antique oak tones. 
Although probably throughout this example not one panel of "champs" or 
vein was wiped on ceiling, woodwork or dado, its connection with graining 
and the grainer' s skill cannot be slightingly dismissed. To ground, glaze, 
wipe, comb, varnish, water scumble, overgrain with the patent combing 
roller, and finally to wax polish such a dado to an effect equal to the old 
real oak furnishings, requires a thorough knowledge of graining and 
graining colors. To carry out similar effects in frieze, cornice and ceiling, 
bringing out the design and main features by the aid of color, just as age 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 127 

and wear would do, requires experience and judgment as well as imitative 
skill; and any grainer who has executed an oak ceiling in panels, will grant 
the technicalities of the operation are various. In its unity we have a 
dtcorative apartment, architectural yet homely in sentiment, rich in form 
and harmonious in color, but not suggestive of the cafe, three-fourths of 
its surface treated in imitative substance and imitative carving and yet 
disarming criticism by its very modesty and restraint of finish. Such 
appears to be the province of imitative painting — first, of itself made justifi- 
able by the common sense advantages of economy, durability and fitness, 
and then in its relative color value, a thing of beauty and decorative worth. 
In the special chapter on modern relief imitations, I have described the 
methods and material used in such work as that illustrated; and as promised, 
I now close this effort with a few useful recipes bearing upon our modern 
decorations. These being the direct fruits of long experience and profes- 
sional usage, they may be depended upon by one's fellow craftsmen, 
providing they are combined with reliable materials and painstaking effort. 

NOTES AND RECIPES FOR USE IN IMITATING CARVED WOODS, METALS, 
LEATHERS AND MAJOLICA. 

hitetior oil gildmg size /or yellow metals. — Take one pint best interior 
copal varnish, two pints boiled (not doctored) linseed oil, 4 oz. each of fat 
oil, light coach japan and yellow ochre, the latter of the finest degree of 
grinding. Mix thoroughly, strain through fine muslin and keep in air 
tight glass preserve jars. Should be fit for gilding on in 12 hours and keep 
its tack for 3 days. To quicken drying, add more varnish; to further retard 
it, mix in thoroughly a small percentage of pure raw oil. Stir well before 
using. 

To gild large surfaces i?i silver or while metals. — Use the best white coach 
japan procurable; prepare the surface with a steel grey tint of flatting 
paint, and finish with a thin coating of parchment or isinglass size and one 
of thin solution of white shellac if the metal is to be decorated upon. 

Spirit lacquers for obtaining gold effects. — To obtain rich and transpa- 
rent colors ranging from pale gold to old Italian tones, and without much 
cost, infusions of these four coloring factors may be used, gamboge, tumeric, 
red Sanders and dragon's blood. Prepare the color by simmering for 3 
hours about one pound of each in i qt. alcohol, using a covered vessel and 
steam or sand bath to avoid the spirit's igniting. These four drugs will 
give tones from which, separately or combined, every desired gold color can 
be produced. After cooling and settlement, the clear liquid is drawn off 
and pure orange shellac varnish (preferably home prepared) is added to give 
the necessary body and wearing power to the transparent liquid. The 
exact proportion of shellac to stained liquid will be governed by the use to 
which the lacquer is put. If merely to get color, then the binding power, 
viz. , the shellac, need not be nearly so much as when we are going to work 
over the lacquer with oil and water scumbles. The best drugs need scarcely 



128 THE ART OF GRAINING. 

be insisted upon, cheap tumeric especially being a pilfall, as liable to fade 
out quickly. 

Painters' lacquers or glazes for metals or woods are often prepared from 
good crystal varnish and turpentine stained with such permanent transparent 
pigments as the umbers, siennas, Prussian and indigo blues, etc. When 
gloss is not desirable, white laundress's wax may be shredded and dissolved 
in pure turpentine, thinned down to working consestency with turpentine 
and a little best copal varnish to act as a dryer or binding agent. 

Paiyited majolica imitations for tile designs and dados. — Prepare the 
material with Glutol sizing and one coat flat white paint. Mix the semi- 
transparent colors separately in boiled oil and varnish. Paint in the differ- 
ent parts with desired color and soften with a grainer's badger. Get slight 
variations of color depth by wiping off" the glaze on prominent portions. 
Varnish with a light, hard, oil varnish and water scumble with blue-black 
to which a little ale or vinegar has been added. 

Imitatioyis of old European leathers. — These are best when executed upon 
a material having sufficient texture to hold the water scumble, such as 
Cordelova, the chief purpose of which is to give the material age and old 
color tone. Cordelova leathers are treated in various orthodox ways. I 
append two. The first is worked upon a ground of pale yellow gold, or 
lacquered aluminium. After the lacquering, scumble the surface with 
transparent, sagey green made from Vandyke, raw sienna and indigo or 
Prussian blue. When dry, paint in the background with a strong tint of 
lemon chrome flatting and finish with a water scumble of burnt umber. 
This latter must be at once wiped off cleanly, leaving the color only around 
the ornaments and a slight tinge from its presence to tone down the lemon 
ground. Old Spanish leathers are usually treated vice versa ^ with colored 
relief ornaments upon an old gold ground. The metaling and lacquering 
are first done, care being taken to get an old rich lacquer tone. The 
ornament is now painted or stenciled in by hand in various semi-natural 
colors and when dry, high lights of color are added. Oil scumbling of rich 
brown color is then spread, and then a final scumble of Vandyke, or toned 
black. The scumble must be wiped carefully from the metal ground each 
time and the whole varnished with dilute crystal varnish. When hung, or 
rather nailed in place, as this often is, a rubbing with waxed cloth gives a 
very soft, leathery gloss. 

Effects in carved woods. — Little more need here be written concerning 
woods. The points not already touched upon are such as concern the 
intelligent wiping and scumbling. In wiping oil glazes the design must be 
brought out by leaving the scumble in the right depths according to the 
modelling and lighting. Again, it is very easy to wipe off too much of the 
oil scumble, the effect of which on "carved oak" ceilings is to reveal a crude 
"paintiness." Oil graining color, although, to my mind, a poor preservative 
finish for grained external doors, requires no varnishing on ceilings. The 



T'HE ART OF GRAINING. 120 

water scumble of Vandyke and fuller's earth and the final rub with wax 
cloth cannot be bettered. The stippler for painting and scumbling is a great 
advantage. 

A 7'eliable aystal varnish. — Dissolve 4 lbs. daniar gum in i gal. pure 
turpentine. The gum will dissolve without any forcing, but if required for 
early use, it may be melted by hot water applied on the old glue-pot 
principle. This is an excellent varnish for glazes and other purposes con- 
nected with metal and leather effects. 

An enamel oil for viixing with varnish. — Take sugar of lead, 28 lbs; 
white sulphate of manganese, 7 lbs. Crush to a powder and well mix. 
Put this into a small barrel or oil vessel and pour on 4 gals, pure raw oil. 
Well stir at intervals for three or four weeks. Run off all that is clear, and 
lay by for use. Take the fine, thick white off — 4 oz. of this will dry 7 lbs. 
of paint. Put in more oil until the supply of drying factor is exhausted. 
This is a splendid drying or enamel oil for outside ironwork or woodwork, 
and gives greater gloss, elasticity and body than does adding ordinary 
varnish to paint. One pint of this oil can be added to good oil varnish with 
benefit to its working nature and elasticity — providing ahvays the raw oil be 
the best obtainable. 

A reliable ayid inexpensive japan for graincrs and painters. — Two pounds 
ground litharge; 2 lbs. red lead; i lb. sulphate of manganese; Yz lb. sugar 
of lead. Mix these to a paste with light coach japan. Put the paste into a 
gallon jar and add )^ gal. pure turpentine. lyct stand and stir occasionally for 
three days. Pour off the resultant liquid — a first-class English "Terebine." 
Pour in another half gallon of turps, well stir and repeat the results for the 
second and third times, using the same first lot of oxidizing chemicals, after 
which they will be exhausted. In large quantities this is a money saving 
recipe. 

To bronze interior metal ivork. — Take black japan and add sufficient 
green pigment to make the desired bronze hue. Paint the articles, and 
when nearly dry metal the high lights, using the best gold bronze applied 
with a small piece of unwashed chamois skin ; finish with a coat of hard- 
drying, clear varnish to which a little dry bronze may be added with 
advantage. 

^^ Dead black" for inter io} wrought ironwork. — Four parts turpentine; i 
part black japan; i part ivory black, ground in japan. Dries in one hour 
and will rub to a soft, metal polish with dry rag. 

[Finis.] 



ix THE ART OF GRAINING. 



W) w 



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THE ART OF GRAINING. 



ARTISTIC AND DURABLE... 

GRAINING 

CAN ONLY BE PRODUCED ON 

GROUNDS 

of best material and correct color. To obtain such and to match the painted samples, 
use the following proportions of 

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WHITE LEAD AND COLORS 



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'1 oz. Deep English Vei'milion .. . " 
1 oz. Lemon Chrome " 

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2i lbs. French Ochre " 

1 oz. Burnt Umbei" " 

No. 3. Light Oak and Birch. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

h lbs. French Ochi-e " 

1 oz. Lemon Chi'ome " 

No. 4. Dark Oak. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

10 lbs. French Ochre " 

Li lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 

H lbs. Burnt Umber " 

No. 5. Satin Wood. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

H lbs. Lemon Chrome " 

1 oz. Deep English Vermilion. . . " 

No. 6. Pollard Oak. 

75 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

20 lb. French Ochre " 

3 lbs. Burnt Umber " 

2i lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 



No. 7. Pitch Pine. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

i lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 

i lbs. French Ochre " 

No. 8. Knotted Oak. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

3i lbs. Burnt Umber " 

9 lbs. French Ochre " 

No. 9. Italian Walnut. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

li lbs. Burnt Umber " 

li lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 

6 lbs. French Ochi-e •' 

No. 10. Rosewood and Dark Hahogany. 

40 lbs. Med. Venetian Red in oil 

9i lbs. Burnt Umber '• 

10 lbs. Orang-e Chrome " 

No. 11. Light Mahogany. 

60 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

3 lbs. Burnt Umber " 

10 lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 

No. 12. American Walnut and 
Antique Oak. 

30 lbs. Pure White Lead in oil 

1 lbs. Med. Venetian Red " 

9 lbs. French Ochre " 

4 lbs. Burnt Umber " 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 




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THE ART OF GRAINING. 



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THE ART OF GRAINING. 










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THE ART OF GRAINING. 



XIV 



UNITED STATES WHITE LEAD IS THE BEST. 



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XV THE ART OF GRAINING. 



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THE ART OF GRAINING. 



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John W. Masury 
& Son, 



NEW YORK. 



CHICAGO. 




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Manufacturers of 



PAINT5 



AND 



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VARNISH E5.. 



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SPECIALTIES: 



GRAINING COLORS 

Specially adapted for the purpose intended, 
in shade and color, strength and 

working properties. ^^ 



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XVll 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 






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It is very important 

In graining to use a first-class 
Varnish... 



Our 

Extra No. 1 Coach 

and 

No. 1 Coach 

can be depended upon to give 
satisfaction. They dry free from 
dust in 4 to 6 hours, and hard 
in 12 to 15 hours, will not turn 
white or spot when exposed to 
water. ■ 

^ If your local paint store hasn't 
got them, write to 

Pratt & Lambert 



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CHICAGO 



NEW YORK 



MONTREAL 



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THE ART OF GRAINING. 



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POMEROy & FIS6H&R, 

28 & 30 FRANKFORT STREET, P. 0. Box 1224 
NEW YORK 



W 



NoDlGS & Hoare's 



GELEBRftTED 
f ENGLISH 

VARNISHE,S 



For tlouse Painters and 
Decorators. 



Walkers, Parker & Go^s 



ENGLISH 
WHITE LEftD 



Finest Colors, 
Dnj and Ground 



Bronze Powders, 
Etc. 




CHAS. H. WEBB, Publisher. 
85 FIFTH AVENUE, . CHICAGO. 



We have on onr staff of regular contributors such men as 

Frederick Parsons W. Q. Scott Robert N. Hunter 

A. Ashmun Kelly V. B. Qrinnell F. Maire 

and a score of other trade writers of note. 

The Western Painter is edited and published by a practical painter 
for the special benefit of the everyday workman. It is published on the 20th of each 
month, and each number is profusely illustrated. Subscription price $1.00 per year. 
SAMPLE COPIES FREE on request. Write for our attractive premium list. 



xzx 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



GRAINERS' TOOLS. 




all kinds; also aiding- implements and utensils for Grainers, Painters, Decorators 

and Paperhang-ers. 

HEADQUARTERS 

BAGS, BULBS, SCREW TUBES, NOZZLES, etc., to make 

RELIEF RAISED WORK 

New feather-weig-ht ALUMINUM PALETTES, and other novelties. 
Send stamp for Fifth Catalogue when you have use for 

BRONZES. § TAINED (jLASS P APER, smalts 



4 colored sketches, 50c: 12 printed. 50c. 
PAPER AND CLOTH FACED 

P RE.SGO ^TENGILS . 

TEMPERA COLORS 

in Tubes— unsurpiis.sable lor line work. 

Letter Patterns, Sketches, 
Cupids, Medallions, Panels, etc. 



ESTAB. 1 887 




Books on Decoration and Painting. 

Brushes, Combs, crayons, 



^. (j RfllNING J OOLS. 



-V .-d/i*-/-?! ALL TRANSFER PAPERS 

XC^^2^21S>^>? ^ ^°' Grain'g, 20o patterns, wood & marble 
'^^*4.T5-^'^ Blotter, Gransorbian, Combing 

> ..,,,-/..-„,.. r, and Bellamy's Graining Rollers. 

A. WIGGERS, Prop. ■' ° 




Oak Stipple Graining Roller and Patent Feed Brush. 

STENCIL TREASURY, 

215 East 59th Street, NEW YORK. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



GRAINING MATERIALS 

We carry in stock the largest and most complete line of Grainers' Tools in the country and as a 
help and guide to those wishing anything in this line, we have compiled the following list; 

CALLOWS LATEST NEW PATENT ELECTRO METALIC 
GRAINING TOOLS. 



FOR RAPIDLY GRAINING ALL WOODS IIM OIL OR DISTEMPER COLORS 








Price, per plate, net $ 2.50 

Price, per set 10 plates including knotter and stippler 20 00 

A descriptive catalogue, giving directions for use, etc., mailed on application. 




Showing mode of sliding the plates in motion while wiping out the work. 
Callow's Improved Check Stippler, price each, net ?1.00 

GRAINING COMBS. 

Leather, per set *U.W I French steel, polished, per set 1.50 

Taylor's English Steel, per set L.'jO | French Steel, per inch 60 

Graduated, 1 to 6 inches per set. $1.25. per inch 8c. 

IMPROVED TRANSFER GRAINING PAPERS. 

These papers are put up in double rolls, 18 yards long and 2(5 inches wide, representing every 
variety of hard wood. From 2 to 5 copies can be obtained from each piece of paper. 
Price per double roll, net $1.25 | Price per yard, net $0.15 



GRAINING COLORS IN OIL. 



Light Oak, 1 lb. cans, per 

Dark Oak 

Walnut, 

Chestnut, 

Ash, 

Cherry. 

Mahogany, 



lb 



.$0.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 



DISTEMPER COLORS 

IN 
WATER FOR GRAINING. 

"Vandyke Brown, in lb, jars, per jar 

Ivorv Black, " " 

Blue Black, " " 

Raw or Burnt Sienna, " " 

Raw or Burnt Umber, " " 

Prussian Blue, " " 



$0.10 
.18 
.18 
.16 
.15 
.32 



Thin with pure boiled linseed oil and spirits of 
turpentine. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Knotted Badger Blenders, set in bone, per inch $ .35 

Overgrainers (all styles and sizes) , per inch 25 

Bristle Mottlers, per inch 10 

English White Hard Bath Varnish, per gal 6.00 

English Japan Gold Size, per gal 3.00 

Improved Dead Varnish, per gal 2.50 

White Hard Spirit Varnish, per quart 1.25 

Our complete Catalogue of Painters' Supplies will be ready January 1st. .Send us your name 
and address if you wish a copy. 

GEO. E. WATSON CO. 



38 Randolph St. 



Chicago. III. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. 



A Dollar 



Is all it will cost you to receive The Western Painter 
a whole year, and we know you will always be a sub- 
scriber if you try our magazine one year. This is why 
we can af¥ord to give such valuable premiums to new 
subscribers. We want to induce them to send us a 
trial subscription for one year. If you are not already 
a subscriber, look over our Special Premium Offer, se- 
lect your premium, and forward your subscription at 
once. If you put it off, you may forget it. Our con- 
tributors are the best that money can secure, and every 
line contained in The Western Painter is interesting 
and instructive to practical men. 

SUBSCRIBE NOW. 



The Western Painter 

CHICAGO. 



THE ART OF GRAINING. xxii 

USEFUL AND VALUABLE BOOKS 

for the use of 

PAINTERS, GRfllNERS, SIGM WRITERS, FftFERtAftNGE,R8 AND OTtlERS. 

The Art of Graining — Published December, 1895. A carefully written and pro- 
fusely illustrated work on graining and modern decorative imitations of 
woods, leathers, metals, majolicas, etc., by Frederick Pai-sons. The illus- 
trations are all in black and white, but illustrate the methods of doing work in 
such a plain and simple way that any one who cares to do so may gain an 
insight into the business. There is no other book on graining which makes 
all the details so plain, and consequently no other work that will be so 
helpful to the amateur who is ambitious to learn. It contains many valuable 
recipes. " The Art of Graining" is published in cloth and paper. Both 
editions are the same, except the binding. In paper binding, posti^aid, 
$1.00 ; in full cloth and gold, postpaid $1.25 

The Painters' Encyclopedia contains definitions of all important words in the 
art of plain and artistic painting, with details of practice in coach, carriage, 
railway car, house, sign and ornamental painting, including graining, 
marbling, staining, varnishing, polishing, lettering, stenciling, gilding, etc. 
Elaborately illustrated. Price , $1.50 

The Complete Carriage and Wagon Painter contains about 200 pages of plain 
directions for painting carriages, wagons and sleighs, besides full instructions 
in all the various branches, including lettering, ornamenting, scrolling, 
striping, varnishing and coloring, with many recipes for mixing tints. It 
contains nearly 200 illustrations. Price. $1.00 

Copley's Plain and Ornamental Alphabets — Examples in every style. Me- 
chanical and analytical construction of letters, designs for titles, ciphers, 
compasses, monograms, borders, flourishes, etc. Price $2.00 

Sign, Carriage and Decorative Painting— Full of valuable points upon the 

several branches of the trade. It includes fresco and cai-. painting. Price.. $ .50 

The Standard Sign Writer— An excellent work on the subject. Its instructions 

are clear, ijrecise and practical. Price $2.00 

Book of Japanese Ornamentation — A collection of designs for all purposes. 

Price $2.00 

Landa's Fancy Alphabets — These alphabets are the production of a French 

artist, and have long been favorites. Price $1.00 

The House and Sign Painters' Recipe Book is a neat, well-printed book of 
100 pages of solid reading matter, in a condensed form, embracing a collec- 
tion of recipes that the author has collected in his experience of 20 years at 
the trade. It is a valuable help. Price $ -50 

The Standard Scroll Book— A collection of about 200 designs. Price $1.00 

How to Draw and Paint — The whole art of drawing and painting, with 
instructions in outline, light and shade, perspective, sketching from nature, 
etc. One hundred illustrations. Price $ -50 

Qilder's Hanual — A guide to gilding in all its branches as used in the several 
trades, such as interior decoration, pictui'e and looking-glass frames, oil and 
water gilding, regilding, gilding china, glass, pottery, etc. Price $ .50 

Scene Painting and Painting in Distemper— Gives full instructions in the 
preparation of colors, drawing for scene painters, stage settings and useful 
information regarding stage appliances and effects. Numerous illusti-ations 
and diagrams. Price 1-00 

Painter's flanual — A practical guide to house and sign painting, varnishing, 
polishing, calci mining, papering, lettering, staining, silver gilding, glazing, 
etc., including a treatise on How to Mix Paint. To the learner this book is 
indispensable. Price $ .50 

Sign Writing and Glass Embossing — A standard work, wide and favorably 

konwn. Illustrated. Price S .75 

Any of the above books sent postpaid on receipt of price. Address 

The Western Painter, 

85 FIFTH AVE. ....CHICAGO. 



THE ARl OF GR A LYING. 



USEFUL AND VALUABLE BOOKS 

for the use of 

PAINTERS, GRftlNERrS, SIGN WRITERS, PflPERtlflNGERS rtND OTHERS. 

Grinneli's Hand=Book on Painting— Not a catch-peiiny publication, but a prac- 
tical woi-k of some 200 pages, each one filled with tested recipes and helpful 
iusti'uctions, given in plain language by a man who has spent his whole life 
at the trade. The information contained in this book would be cheap at 
$5.00, but the author, who would rather help his brother painter than make 
money, insists upon the work being- sold at 50 cents. Or we will fn'nd a copy 
free as a p)Tmlum for a new subscrq)tion or renexcal. Remember this valuable 
book will be sent postpaid to any addi-ess upon receipt of $ .50 

Illustrations of Sign Writing— A new book of 132 pages, containing over 300 
illustrations of signs, new letters, etc. This is just the thing for jjainters 
who are anxious to be up to date in sign work. Price $ .50 

Practical Graining — A hand-book for the practical man. giving a full description 
of colors and tools used in all kinds of graining, with 47 colored illustrations 
showing the ditt'erent woods imitated in graining. Contents: Ground works 
for graining; graining compares favorably with plain painted work; i-emov- 
ing old paint; mixing ground colors. The graining color; imitating simple 
woods; ground color for light oak; mixing graining color; applying tlie 
coloi-; representing champs or lights of oak. Quartered oak; overgi'aining 
heart of oak; use of check roller. Graining oak in distemper; the light 
veins in oak; gi'aining ash: putting in heart work; overgraining ash; ash in 
distemper; matching white ash. Hungarian ash; burl ash in water color 
and in oil. Chestnut; colors for graining- chestnut; wiping the hearts and 
blending; chestnut in water coloi-; bird's-eye maple; putting in lights and 
shadows; putting in the eyes; curly or rock naaple; silver maple. Stained 
wood; ground- work for stained wood: putting in the mottling. Pollard oak; 
cherry: cherry in distemper; glue size for distemper binder. Black walnut 
in oil; black walnut in distemper. French walnut burl in distemper. Ma- 
hogany; Honduras feathered mahogany; stippling in mahogany; feathered 
mahogany. Rosewood: use of bamboo brush; imitating rosewood in water 
color; Cypress wood. Hard pine; white wood. Varnishing over grained 
work; cracking of varnish on inside work. Graining considered as a fine 
art; graining condemned by architects; the artistic merit of graining. The 
tools used by grainers; colors; overgrainers; badger blenders; castellated 
blenders; raottlers; cutters; stipplers; check rollers; fresco brittle liners. 
Patent graining machines; patent roller process: the mason pad; objection 
to maciiine graining; stencil plates; Gransorbian transfer process; transfer 
paper. The imitation of carved w^ork, mouldings, etc. A practical work 
for practical men, by W. E. Wall, Grainer to the Trade. Price $2.50 

The Scientific American Cyclopedia of Receipts, Notes and Queries— 12,000 

receipts; ()80 pages. This splendid work contains a careful compilation of 
the most useful receipts and replies given in the Notes and Queries of ccirre- 
spondents as published in the ticientific Amfrkan during the past fifty years, 
together with many valuable and important additions. Over 12,000 selected 
receipts are here collected, nearly every branch of the useful arts being- 
represented. It is by far the most comprehensive volume of the kind ever 
pieced before the public. The work may be regarded as the pi-oduct of the 
ablest chemists and workers in ail parts of the world, the information given 
being of the highest value, arranged and condensed in concise form, con- 
venient for ready use. Paints, pigments and varnishes furnish over 800 
receipts, and include nearly everything worth knowing on those subjects. 
For Lacquers, tliere are 120 receipts; Inks, 450; Paper, 250; Alloys, 700; 
Cements, 600; Etching, 55; Soaps, nearly 300; Cosmetics and Perfumery, 500; 
Bronzing, 127; Cleansing, over 500 receipts. In addition to the above there 
are many other receipts, embracing every branch of the useful arts. Price $5.00 

Any of the above books sent postj^aid on receipt of jji-ice. Address 

The Western Painter, 

85 FIFTH AVE. ....CHICAGO. 

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